Lason Butler, 27, was an African American inmate at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland Country, South Carolina. Mr. Butler died on February 12, 2022, of extreme dehydration in his cell, as the jail staff denied him water, food, and medical attention.
Mr. Butler’s body was covered in rat bites when the officers found him dead inside the “Special Housing Unit,” where he was detained. Lason Butler was being held in prison on traffic violations traffic rules. He was driving at illegal speeds, failed to stop for a red light, and also had a suspended license.
Butler’s family has filed a lawsuit against Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center staff and Richland County. According to the lawsuit the officers failed to provide “sanitary conditions, appropriate health care, and relief from solitary confinement."
The civil rights attorneys Bakari Sellers and Audia Jones represent the plaintiffs in the case. Defense attorney Bakari Sellers stated: “This is by far the worst civil rights case I have ever seen, from the rats that bit Mr. Butler to the fact that he died of dehydration,”
In addition, the autopsy results confirmed that Mr. Butler died of severe dehydration. The reports further showed that he lost 42 pounds during 11 days of jail time.
His death has been ruled a homicide by the Richland County Coroner. He also noted the “lack of action” from the jail officers.
When the pictures of the detention cells were released to the public, it was evident that Mr. Butler was kept in inhumane conditions. It aroused mass public outrage, with people questioning the hygienic conditions of the detention centers.
His fellow inmates told the authorities that Lason was screaming for medical help and water; however, officers ignored his plea. Furthermore, statements from inmates and nurses describe his cell’s condition as unsanitary and subhuman.
The attorneys believe that this is a case of racism since the officers showed “deliberate indifference” in their behavior towards Mr. Butler. Seller referred to it as “the two most important words in this case.”
“But for (the jail staff’s) lack of action, (Butler) would be alive,” Naida Rutherford, the Richland County Coroner, told The State.
On the other hand, Lason Butler was not the first to die at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Two other inmates died at the Center in 2022. It proves that the Detention Center has a record of abusing minority prisoners
During the presentation, the attorneys expressed that Mr. Butler was a human and had the right to healthy living conditions. Everybody makes mistakes, and Lason Butler made one too. He did not have to die to pay for his crimes.
Mr. Butler’s mother tried to bail her son out on several occasions. However, the officers told her that Lason’s release was on hold. “They took my son. I still don’t have any answers,” said Butler’s mother, Lakeshia Butler. “I hurt every day. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss my son.”