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Died in jail or a lockup

Timothy D. Gilliam Jr.

27 years old · died July 18, 2016 · Luzerne County Correctional Facility, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Timothy D. Gilliam Jr., 27, was held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, when he died on July 18, 2016. His mother, Kia Bradford, said he was a human being loved by God and that he had a child. Officials, including Coroner William Lisman, said he and a correctional officer struggled on the fifth floor, broke through an elevator door and fell down the shaft, and the coroner ruled the death accidental. County officials called it a freak accident, and an engineering firm was to examine how the door gave way; a later lawsuit from the officer's family blames elevator companies, which deny the claims.

Cause of death, as reported: Died in an accident (disputed). The coroner ruled the death accidental after he and a corrections officer broke through an elevator door and fell down the shaft, while his family's lawsuit blames the elevator companies for maintenance and inspection failures, which the companies deny.

Reported by: Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman (medical examiner or coroner); Luzerne County Correctional Facility officials (the agency that held him); Gilliam's family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Luzerne County Prison officials as reported by the Times Leader (the agency that held him).

Lawsuit: His estate's lawsuit blamed elevator companies for maintenance and inspection failures, and the companies deny the claims; no settlement or award amount is reported.

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