Delbert Essex
Delbert Essex, a Marine veteran who lived with insulin-dependent diabetes, was taken to the Imperial County Jail in El Centro, California, after his pickup truck went into a riverbed. His widow and daughter say a jail nurse found him in dangerous medical condition but ordered transport by squad car rather than an ambulance, and that officers then took him to a motel, where he died on June 22, 2023. Their federal wrongful death lawsuit says the nurse, officers, county and medical contractor were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs, and the defendants' motions to dismiss the case were denied. The death was attributed in the suit to complications of ketoacidosis and hypoglycemic shock.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's federal wrongful death lawsuit says a jail nurse found Delbert in dangerous medical condition, ordered transport by squad car instead of an ambulance, and officers then took him to a motel where he died, and it claims the nurse, officers, county and medical contractor were deliberately indifferent to his diabetic needs.
Reported by: his family's federal wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Imperial County, a jail nurse, officers and a medical contractor in federal court, alleging they were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs, and the court denied the defendants' motions to dismiss.