Mecklenburg sheriff faces another lawsuit over inmate’s death, supervision at jail
A new lawsuit against Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden and health care provider Wellpath alleges negligence in a man’s death in the jail in 2021.
Karon Golightly, 20, was found pulseless and not breathing in a pool of his own urine on May 14, 2021, according to the federal complaint.
His death happened during a “blind spot” of about 90 minutes in which Mecklenburg County jail staff did not check on him, the lawsuit alleges. It adds that he suffered cardiac arrest either from a “prolonged habit ingesting psychotropic medications belonging to other inmates” or an overdose.
Golightly suffered from bipolar disorder, anxiety, insomnia and depression, the lawsuit filed by his estate says.
Wellpath ended its contract with the sheriff’s office effective today. It, too, is a defendant in the lawsuit.
The Charlotte Observer reported earlier this year that Wellpath has a history of being sued for its work in North Carolina jails, and then settling the lawsuits confidentially.
The sheriff’s office doesn’t comment on pending litigation, spokesperson Bradley Smith said in an email Friday.
McFadden recently shared concerns about the amount of data a state jail inspector requested at a semi-annual inspection of the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. The sheriff also alleged that state inspectors misread data, leading to inaccurate conclusions about whether jail staff are making safety rounds required by law.