Aaron Brito
Aaron Brito, a 31-year-old man from New Bedford, died by suicide in October 2013, one night after he was taken to the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction in North Dartmouth. His mother, Deborah Taylor, filed a wrongful death suit saying he was in heroin withdrawal, that officials should have known he was at risk, and that he was supposed to be moved to a medical unit but never was. The suit says he was placed alone in a conventional cell despite his doctors' advice, and that staff did not address his withdrawal symptoms. A later report says the suit was settled in 2020.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). His mother, Deborah Taylor, says in a wrongful death suit that county officials should have known he was at risk during heroin withdrawal, that he was supposed to be moved to a medical unit but never was, and that he was placed alone and unmonitored in a conventional cell despite his doctors' advice.
Reported by: Deborah Taylor, his mother, in a wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His mother, Deborah Taylor, filed a wrongful death suit over his death at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction, and the suit was settled in 2020 for an amount that was not reported.