Lawsuit: It took Charlotte jail staff 35 minutes to try to save man who died
A federal lawsuit alleges Mecklenburg County jail staff took more than 35 minutes to try and resuscitate a man they found unresponsive.
George Benfield, 43, died less than an hour after being booked into uptown’s jail on Jan. 19, 2024, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
Autopsy and toxicology results show that he suffered cardiac arrest and died from fentanyl toxicity, according to the lawsuit filed by his estate last week.
Benfield told nurses that his medical issues included seizures and asthma, and the nurses documented that he suffered shortness of breath when he was booked, the lawsuit said.
A urinalysis showed that he had synthetic opioid buprenorphine in his system, as well as cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine and methamphetamine, the lawsuit said.
Still, the lawsuit said, a doctor on a phone call with those nurses authorized Benfield’s admission to the infirmary housing unit under a detoxification protocol.
A paramedic reported Benfield’s body being cold to the touch and near a puddle of pale orange vomit when she arrived.
Sheriff Garry McFadden, his employees and medical staff who were contracted to work in the jail are among the defendants in the lawsuit.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.