'My heart will be rejected': Jacksonville man dies after missing doses in jail

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://jaxtrib.org/2023/05/23/i-cant-miss-those-doses-jacksonville-man-died-after-jail-denied-him-heart-transplant-medicine/

Dexter Barry waited 12 years to get a new heart. He saw dozens of doctors, had invasive procedures and moved states to survive. In 2020, his long wait paid off. His new heart allowed him to imagine a healthy life where he could revisit his passion for motorcycles and watch his children grow and flourish in their careers.

But in 2022, after a misdemeanor arrest kept him in jail for two days without his life-sustaining medication, his body rejected the heart.

Barry’s neighbor called 911 in November to complain that Barry, 54, had threatened to beat him up after a weeks-long fight over wifi access. A fight never occurred, but Barry was arrested on a simple assault charge.

Barry told Officer Jacob McKeon at least seven times that he needed to take his anti-rejection medications every day to survive, according to body camera footage that was reviewed by The Tributary. The next morning, according to the court transcript, Barry told Judge Gilbert Feltel the same.

“I am on medication,” Barry told the judge. “I just had a heart transplant, and I haven’t taken my medicine all day since I have been locked up, and I take rejection medicines for my heart so my heart won’t reject it, and I’m almost two years out.”

“OK,” Feltel responded.

On Nov. 23, Barry died.

Not sure why people say "maybe they'll get the help they need in prison." Incarceration is not a system that helps.

[duhneece]

1. I'm so effing sick of inmates treated so cruelly

Fucking pissed

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Feature, not a bug.

[yardwork]

2. Manslaughter. Pure and simple.

[CloudWatcher]

8. I'm no lawyer

But I don't understand why this isn't murder, it does not seem accidental at all.

[LiberalArkie]

15. According to LAW, the law enforcement community can not be held responsible for such things

[MagickMuffin]

3. I had a friend who died in jail in Seattle because the enforcers denied his medical care

He was also denied his prescription medications. He was an avid listener of exotic/toxic music. Turned me and my mates on to some really great music and some I didn’t.

He was also a struggling artist both musically and painterly.


Miss you Dan!

[KS Toronado]

5. "arrested on a simple assault charge."

No physical fight just words exchanged, since when are words assault? Let alone to lock someone up for days?
Hell, I'd be a lifer by now. Seems like a decent cop would have just talked to both and encouraged both to
just stay away each other and I don't want to come back and have this conversation again.

[UniqueUserName]

6. Legal definition

Assault is generally defined as an intentional act that puts another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact.

If you actually hit them, it's battery; hence assault and battery.

[irisblue]

7. Black man in a Florida jail. 💔

[live love laugh]

17. ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️

[barbtries]

9. he'd get his meds in prison.

the local jail? no. they treat people very badly in jail.

hopefully his family will be made whole financially.

[ShazzieB]

11. I hope his family sues and gets a huge pot of money.

This is inexcusable. Maybe having to make a big payout will make them think twice about denying people medication they need to stay alive.

[Arazi]

12. Bitter laugh, nope. Insurance will haggle to payout the smallest pittance

And nothing will change

[OneCrazyDiamond]

10. Florida isn't safe.

I hope all the good people their can get out before it's too late.

[live love laugh]

18. FL is a test case for cleansing.

[DFW]

13. A just world would arrest the cop and the judge for murder one

They were informed in no uncertain terms, and both went ahead with informed deliberation. Give them both the needle. I normally oppose the death penalty, but a society has a right to a certain amount of self-defense, and the cold, callous, knowingly deadly actions of these two indicate they would act similarly again, given the chance. I don‘t see how this is anything other than a mean, deliberate killing. They knew what they were doing, and in a state that eagerly embraces killing. I can‘t think of any two people more deserving to be the next in line.

[Kali]

14. oh my god

[moonshinegnomie]

16. arrest everyone involved for murder

and upon conviction give them life w/o parole

[lostnfound]

19. The family of heart donor, the transplant doctors, his own family ought to punch the jailer

And whoever is running the jail.

I’d suspect they didn’t want to pay for it. Those drugs are expensive.

[dembotoz]

20. curious if orders where ever written

where the system broke down


jacksonville is not a small town. the jail should have procedures in place.
this is not some hick town.......If it were a small town they might not have medical staff on premise......No excuse for this

[Solly Mack]

21. K&R