Dana Shunice Palmer
Dana Shunice Palmer, 45, from St. Elmo, died on February 22, 2017, while held at the CoreCivic detention center in Hamilton County, Tennessee, formerly known as Silverdale. Her family, in a lawsuit against CoreCivic seeking $15 million, says corrections officers pepper-sprayed her and that she choked and suffocated as a result. The lawsuit says her death certificate listed the death as accidental and that the medical examiner attributed it to foreign bodies in her throat.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). Palmer's family's lawsuit says officers pepper-sprayed her, causing her to choke and suffocate, while her death certificate lists the death as accidental and the medical examiner reportedly cited foreign bodies in her throat.
Reported by: Palmer's family, in a lawsuit against CoreCivic (family or their lawyers); the medical examiner, as cited in the lawsuit (medical examiner or coroner).
Lawsuit: Her family sued CoreCivic, seeking $15 million, alleging that corrections officers pepper-sprayed her and that she choked and suffocated; the suit does not report any settlement or award.