Sharon Alexander
Sharon Alexander, a 41-year-old mother of six, died in December 2016 less than a day after she was booked into the Pulaski County Jail in Arkansas, according to jail records and family statements reported by KATV. Her mother, Linda Alexander, and sister, Tamara Alexander, spoke publicly about her death. The jail's records list the cause as an acute asthma attack, while her family says she had known medical problems that jail staff were aware of and disputes the care she received. A federal wrongful death lawsuit filed by her daughter, Porcha Alexander, alleges that staff ignored her pleas for help and refused appropriate medical care, and that the sheriff's office failed to supervise and train its staff; these allegations have not been decided in court.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The jail records and family statements attribute her death to an acute asthma attack, while her daughter's federal lawsuit says staff ignored her pleas for help and refused her appropriate medical care.
Reported by: Pulaski County Jail records (the agency that held her); Porcha Alexander, her daughter, through a federal wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); KATV (reporters).
Lawsuit: Her daughter, Porcha Alexander, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit naming Turn Key Health Clinics, the county's contract medical provider, and alleging the sheriff's office failed to train its staff; no settlement or award amount has been reported.