Nathaniel Rhodes
Nathaniel Rhodes, 58, was hurt in a vehicle crash in Charleston, South Carolina, on August 12, 2018, and was taken by ambulance to Charleston police headquarters. He collapsed in the station's intake area and was taken to a hospital, where he died on August 16, 2018. His family's attorneys said the family is grieving a loss that nothing could replace. The family alleges that an officer signed an EMS refusal form on Rhodes's behalf and that he received medical care too late. An autopsy report from MUSC listed blunt force trauma to the abdomen as the cause of death; SLED found no criminal charges would be brought against the officer, and Charleston police said an internal investigation found the officer violated department policy and reassigned him to a non-sworn position.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The MUSC autopsy lists blunt force trauma to the abdomen as the cause, but the family alleges an officer signed an EMS refusal form on his behalf and that he received medical care too late.
Reported by: MUSC autopsy report (medical examiner or coroner); Nathaniel Rhodes's family (family or their lawyers); South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (outside investigators).