Homeless Woman Dies in Custody at Cobb County Detention Center,

Source: Cobb County Sheriff's Office

A 42-year-old homeless woman, Bunnie Large, died while in custody at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Adult Detention Center on Tuesday. Large had been incarcerated since January 9 following an arrest for an alleged shoplifting incident at a Walmart in Austell. Despite the lack of immediate contact information for family or friends, authorities successfully located a relative to notify them of her death, as FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently tasked with determining the official cause of death. Reflecting on the incident, Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens highlighted the challenging roles that jails play in the community, during a statement where a separate investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was declined. “Time and time again, jails across our state are de facto homeless shelters, mental health facilities, and hospitals — the last resort for the most marginalized and broken amongst us,” Owens said, according to Atlanta News First.

Addressing the implications of Large's demise, Sheriff Owens called for a collective societal effort to address the underlying issues that often result in law enforcement being the frontline response for various social crises. "As a society, we must address the root causes of these issues, rather than solely relying on law enforcement to manage the fallout,” Owens elaborated, as noted by Atlanta News First.

An internal review of Large's death has been initiated by the sheriff's office, following standard protocol for in-custody deaths.