Died in Fresno jail
The story of Freddie Gray, who died with an unexplained severing of his spinal cord while the custody of Baltimore police, is a painful reminder to my family of the horror surrounding my brother’s arrest seven years ago, here in Fresno.
In the early hours of Sept. 24, 2008, my brother, Chris, was walking along Marks Avenue, north of Ashlan Avenue. He was homeless and put in jail on a bench warrant.
Chris felt sick, so he asked for medical attention and was denied, then ignored. After hours went by begging for help, my brother had a seizure and died. A cellmate did CPR for 20 minutes, while the other inmates tried to get the attention of the jail staff. My brother died begging for medical attention in the Fresno County Jail.
The coroner listed Chris’ cause of death as a breakthrough seizure, but he didn’t have a seizure disorder and was not on seizure medication.
I don’t mean to vilify local officers. The majority are loyal, committed and honorable people; I just miss Chris every day. My heart hurts to know the pain felt by Freddie Gray’s family and the unanswered questions that will likely follow.
Melissa Morse
Fresno
This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 4:52 AM with the headline "Died in Fresno jail."