Civil rights trial over Oklahoma inmate death nears end

Civil rights trial over Oklahoma inmate death nears end
TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Jurors are expected decide soon whether they think a man’s civil rights were violated when his last hours alive were spent lying on the floor of an Oklahoma jail with a broken neck.
Attorneys for the estate of Elliott Williams say jail and medical staff in Tulsa failed to provide medical care as 37-year-old Williams languished in his cell for five days in 2011, complaining he couldn’t move.
Both sides rested their cases Thursday.
Central to the case is a condensed video that shows Williams’ last 51 hours. He lies paralyzed as jail staffers throw food on the floor and place a cup of water out of his reach. Firefighters are shown rendering CPR and then pronouncing him dead.
The case comes amid a national discussion about whether jails are equipped to handle inmates in mental distress.

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