Inmate Guy Barnes II Died Following Medical Emergency At Los Angeles County Jail

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (November 16, 2023) – A 54-year-old inmate identified as Guy Barnes II has tragically died in-custody after being booked into a Los Angeles County Jail.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner indicated that the death took place on October 11. Correctional officers noticed that Guy Barnes II was in some type of medical distress.

He was transferred to the hospital in order to receive more extensive care. Sadly, his health continued to decline while he was at the hospital.

Guy Barnes II was later pronounce dead at the hospital. A full investigation into the in-custody death remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

Far too many people die in-custody each year in the United States. According to the Vera Institute for Justice, “The death toll in LA jails is driven by severe overcrowding, inadequate care inside jails, and a failure to offer robust alternatives to incarceration. A horrifying video smuggled out of Men’s Central Jail in June, which shows jail staff neglecting to intervene in a violent assault that stretched for more than ten minutes, underscores the urgent need to reduce the jail population and expand community-based alternatives to incarceration.” Jails should take a number of measures in order to combat inmate deaths.

• Jails should do everything that they can to prevent illicit drugs from entering the prison system.
• Jails should typically segregate inmates based on their gang affiliation and propensity for violence.
• Jails should make sure that inmates get the medical care that they need.

Los Angeles County has a long and sordid history of neglecting the medical needs of the inmates that they are supposed to be caring for. In some instances, inmates have not been given care as they were going through an overdose. In other instances, jails failed to provide inmates with known suicidal ideations adequate mental healthcare. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any in-custody death.

• Surveillance footage related to the death should be sought.
• Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
• Medical records related to the death should be reviewed.
• An independent autopsy may need to be performed.

When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. Sadly, though, jails will often do everything that they can in order to avoid responsibility for an in-custody death. This is why it is important to get the perspective of an experienced civil rights attorney. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know if any in-custody death was due to jail medical neglect.

 

Investigating Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Guy Barnes II. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There are so many questions that still need to be answered.

Do you need more information about a Los Angeles County inmate death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here for you. We are committed to holding jails accountable for their unconstitutional actions. In fact, we focus exclusively on helping those who have been harmed by law enforcement in and outside of prison. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at  (949) 825-5200.