Phillip David Anderson
Phillip David Anderson was a 49-year-old father of four who had served in the Army reserves, worked in a lab, and did painting and construction work; his son remembered him as a joyful man, and the mother of two of his children called him the glue that held their family together. He was taken to the Tuscaloosa County Jail on February 7, 2015, and soon fell ill, unable to eat or keep food down; his family's lawsuit says he begged for medical help for about a week, and others held there and a jail guard said his pain was obvious while staff accused him of faking. On February 15 he collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he died during surgery for a perforated ulcer. The county attorney said jail staff probably acted appropriately, but the federal government later admitted liability on behalf of the jail's medical provider. "If he hadn't been in jail, he would be alive right now," his daughter Erica Fikes said.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's lawsuit says guards and medical staff ignored his requests for help for about a week before he collapsed from a perforated ulcer, while the county attorney said jail staff probably acted appropriately.
Reported by: autopsy report; family lawsuit; Tuscaloosa County attorney (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family filed a federal lawsuit over his death, and the sources report no settlement or award amount.