The parents of a 23-year-old man who died after suffering a "severe, prolonged seizure" while in custody at the Gwinnett County Detention Center have demanded the county pay them $10 million, a legal notice says.
Robert Howard and Dixie Howard sent an ante litem notice — a document indicating they may file a lawsuit — regarding the death of their son, Christopher Howard.
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Christopher Howard was arrested on a charge of probation violation on Feb. 15, 2017. He suffered a seizure while in jail around 10 p.m. that evening and later went into cardiac arrest. He died on Feb. 17 at Gwinnett Medical Center.
His parents didn’t find out about the seizure until 11 a.m. on Feb. 16, more than 12 hours after the incident occurred, Robert Howard said. They were told their son was in the intensive care unit, but had little other information, he said.
His parents allege that jail staff did not provide Christopher Howard proper medical attention after the seizure, instead placing him in a holding cell “where he continued to suffer until he lost consciousness,” the notice says. The family is demanding the county pay them $10 million for wrongful death and Christopher Howard’s pain and suffering.
The county and the sheriff’s office declined to comment Friday.
Christopher Howard had MCAD deficiency, a genetic disorder that prevents the body from breaking down certain fats and can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels, but didn’t suffer from symptoms as an adult, Robert Howard said. Christopher Howard had no history of seizures and was extremely fit, exercising frequently and playing in a recreational basketball league, said his father.
The sheriff’s office said in a Feb. 24, 2017 Facebook post that he was seen eating twice while in custody.
“The truth is that we don't know why 23-year-old Christopher Howard suffered a medical emergency less than eight hours after he arrived at our jail. No one knows yet,” the post said. “We do know, however, that our staff worked very diligently to save his life.”
More than a year after the death of his son, Robert Howard is still grappling with the loss.
“We’re having a very hard time,” he said Friday. “We’re taking it day by day, trying to get better, but we still miss him every day.”
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