Latest news with #hypothermia
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Employees charged in connection with death and assaults at Alabama jail
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Six more employees at an Alabama jail have been indicted in connection with the death of a mentally ill man who died of hypothermia after being held for two weeks in a concrete cell, while several of them have also been accused in the assaults of other inmates. The indictment unsealed Monday is the latest round of charges related to the 2023 death of Tony Mitchell after his incarceration at the Walker County Jail. A total of 20 people have been indicted or plead guilty. The latest indictment charges the six employees, including the jail captain and supervisor, with conspiracy, alleging they sought to 'unlawfully punish detainees in the jail for the detainees' perceived misbehavior." Five of the six are charged with depriving Mitchell of his rights, including depriving him of humane conditions, shelter, sanitation and medical care. 'The offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Individual #1,' prosecutors wrote in the indictment, which referred to Mitchell only as Individual #1. The indictment also details a string of other assaults at the jail, and three of the officers have been charged with deprivation of rights for alleged assaults of other inmates. One of the employees is accused of slamming a handcuffed person's head into a cell floor. He and another employee are accused of beating an inmate who was recaptured after an escape. Another is accused of punching a restrained inmate. Two of the employees are charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said they offered an inmate food from outside the jail to act as an 'enforcer' in his dorm and assault an 18-year-old inmate. Prosecutors said they later submitted a letter to the court that falsely claimed the 'enforcer' had been a model inmate who showed zero signs of aggression. Defense attorneys listed in court records did not immediately return emails seeking comment sent Monday afternoon. Mitchell's death on Jan. 26, 2023, put a spotlight on conditions and allegations of abuse at the jail in Jasper, Alabama. Mitchell, 33, died after being brought from the jail to a hospital emergency room with a body temperature of 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius). He had been taken into custody two weeks earlier on Jan. 12 after a relative asked authorities to do a welfare check on him because he appeared to be having a mental breakdown. The Walker County sheriff's office said that Mitchell was arrested after firing a shot at deputies and running into the woods. Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that for much of his two-week detention, Mitchell was held in a concrete cell that serves as the jail's drunk tank with 'no blanket, mattress, or clothing, and was routinely left naked on the bare concrete floor.' He was routinely covered in feces and was not provided with regular opportunities to shower or use a toilet, prosecutors wrote. Kim Chandler, The Associated Press
Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Employees charged in connection with death and assaults at Alabama jail
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Six more employees at an Alabama jail have been indicted in connection with the death of a mentally ill man who died of hypothermia after being held for two weeks in a concrete cell, while several of them have also been accused in the assaults of other inmates. The indictment unsealed Monday is the latest round of charges related to the 2023 death of Tony Mitchell after his incarceration at the Walker County Jail. A total of 20 people have been indicted or plead guilty. The latest indictment charges the six employees, including the jail captain and supervisor, with conspiracy, alleging they sought to 'unlawfully punish detainees in the jail for the detainees' perceived misbehavior.' Five of the six are charged with depriving Mitchell of his rights, including depriving him of humane conditions, shelter, sanitation and medical care. 'The offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Individual #1,' prosecutors wrote in the indictment, which referred to Mitchell only as Individual #1. The indictment also details a string of other assaults at the jail, and three of the officers have been charged with deprivation of rights for alleged assaults of other inmates. One of the employees is accused of slamming a handcuffed person's head into a cell floor. He and another employee are accused of beating an inmate who was recaptured after an escape. Another is accused of punching a restrained inmate. Two of the employees are charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said they offered an inmate food from outside the jail to act as an 'enforcer' in his dorm and assault an 18-year-old inmate. Prosecutors said they later submitted a letter to the court that falsely claimed the 'enforcer' had been a model inmate who showed zero signs of aggression. Defense attorneys listed in court records did not immediately return emails seeking comment sent Monday afternoon. Mitchell's death on Jan. 26, 2023, put a spotlight on conditions and allegations of abuse at the jail in Jasper, Alabama. Mitchell, 33, died after being brought from the jail to a hospital emergency room with a body temperature of 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius). He had been taken into custody two weeks earlier on Jan. 12 after a relative asked authorities to do a welfare check on him because he appeared to be having a mental breakdown. The Walker County sheriff's office said that Mitchell was arrested after firing a shot at deputies and running into the woods. Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that for much of his two-week detention, Mitchell was held in a concrete cell that serves as the jail's drunk tank with 'no blanket, mattress, or clothing, and was routinely left naked on the bare concrete floor.' He was routinely covered in feces and was not provided with regular opportunities to shower or use a toilet, prosecutors wrote.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Employees charged in connection with death and assaults at Alabama jail
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Six more employees at an Alabama jail have been indicted in connection with the death of a mentally ill man who died of hypothermia after being held for two weeks in a concrete cell, while several of them have also been accused in the assaults of other inmates.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Gang-gang cockatoos struggling in freezing Victorian Alps
Some endangered gang-gang cockatoos birds are being found grounded in the snow in the Victorian Alps, weak and disoriented and suffering from hypothermia.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Gang-gang cockatoos suffer hypothermia, frozen wings in Victorian Alps
Skiers and holiday-makers are enjoying one of the strongest season openings for years as thick snow blankets the Victorian Alps. But gang-gang cockatoos, who usually prefer cool temperatures, are at risk of dying in the freezing conditions. The endangered birds are being found grounded in the snow, weak and disoriented, suffering from hypothermia. Deb Howie, who has been rescuing stricken birds at Falls Creek, said the "cold and windy" conditions were taking a toll. "This winter has been so brutal … we're finding that there are quite a few gang-gangs that are actually struggling," she said. "They're grounded on the snow, and they don't really move. Falls Creek visitors have been advised to carry cloth bags or pillowcases while walking, so they can gently capture any grounded birds and keep them warm while waiting for help. Ms Howie said of the 10 gang-gangs she had rescued so far, most were juveniles. Wildlife carer Jo Mitlehner has also been involved in the rescue efforts and said it was crucial to reunite separated mates, as gang-gangs pair for life. At the start of the snow season, she rescued a mature female gang-gang that had been separated from her partner. "We found her crawling in the snow at Falls Creek," she said. Ms Mitlehner said as soon as the female was well enough, she was returned to where she had been found because the gang-gangs were preparing to leave the area. On release, another carer believed he heard a nearby gang-gang responding to her call. Ms Mitlehner said the birds were not usually found at such high altitudes in winter. While not strictly migratory, they often move from mountain forests to lower elevations during colder months. Ms Mitlehner said she and her team thought a longer summer might have allowed for a second breeding season, leaving more juveniles unprepared for the cold snap. Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia said shifting climate patterns could be a factor in why the birds had not moved down the mountains. "It could be related to the fact that over the past decade or so, we have had much milder winters, and perhaps the gang-gangs have started to adapt to this shift in climate and not been moving as far," he said. According to the latest data, gang-gang populations have already suffered a sharp decline — a drop of nearly 70 per cent between 1999 and 2019. The 2019–2020 bushfires caused further devastation. In 2022, the parrot was officially listed as endangered, with an estimated 25,300 mature birds remaining in the wild. "Experts say the likely reason for the decline in gang-gangs has been the destruction of the big old, hollow-bearing trees that they nest in up in mountainous areas, from native-forest logging," Mr Dooley said. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson confirmed that much of Victoria had endured below-average minimum temperatures for June. And while there is still cold weather ahead in the short term, the bureau's forecast for August to October is for warmer-than-average temperatures. Until then, Falls Creek head of visitor experience David Leathem urged snow-goers to keep an eye out for "vulnerable species, particularly the endangered gang-gang cockatoo". "We encourage residents and visitors to stay alert and contact local wildlife carers for assistance and advice."
