On the third anniversary of Jerrell Lacy's death at the San Diego Central Jail, his family gathered outside the downtown detention facility to demand answers and push for systemic reform. Lacy, who was 38 at the time of his passing on April 11, 2022, was said to have died from natural causes, according to sheriff's officials, a claim contested by his grieving relatives, as reported by NBC San Diego.
His family asserts that Lacy experienced severe chest pain and trouble breathing. After being cleared for hospitalization, he was instead returned to his cell, where he succumbed to medical distress, NBC San Diego reported. Vickie Lewis, Lacy's mother, said she frequently had to escalate her son's medical concerns to the jail staff, who, she believes, neglected her son due to his mental health issues. She criticized the jail for not preserving surveillance footage, which could have potentially clarified the circumstances leading to her son's death.
According to a Times of San Diego article, the family also lacks details concerning a use-of-force incident that occurred a little more than a week before Lacy's death, in which Lacy reportedly said a deputy "burst my head," a statement which had led to his hospitalization. The San Diego County Medical Examiner ruled his death as due to pulmonary thromboembolic disease from deep vein thrombosis.
Despite the examiner's ruling of Lacy's death as natural, Lewis suspects the forceful encounter may have complicated her son's health issues, the Times of San Diego wrote. Paloma Serna of Saving Lives In Custody California emphasized the broader impact of such cases, saying, "This is not just about Jerrell. It’s about every person who has died preventable (deaths) behind bars while their families are left in the dark." Serna, who likewise suffered the loss of her daughter Elisa in custody six years prior, highlights a persistent call for accountability in the county's justice system.
