Demetric Cowan
Demetric Cowan, 38, died on March 13, 2016, while held at the Greenwood County Detention Center in Greenwood, South Carolina. His widow, LaKrystal Coats, alleges in a federal lawsuit that over the night he vomited, appeared to have a seizure and moved between cells, and that officers failed to supervise him and denied him medical care. The lawsuit says officers delayed calling EMS until they could no longer detect a pulse or breathing. Dr. Kim Collins, an expert for the defendants, has said his death was most probably not preventable because he had ingested cocaine, and the defense disputes that earlier medical care would have saved him.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). His widow's federal lawsuit says officers failed to supervise him and delayed calling EMS, and a defense expert, Dr. Kim Collins, says he most probably died from ingested cocaine and the death was not preventable.
Reported by: Widow LaKrystal Coats, via federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Defense expert Dr. Kim Collins.
Lawsuit: His widow, LaKrystal Coats, sued Greenwood County detention officers in federal court over his death, and the case was ongoing with no payment reported.