Unique Moore
Unique Moore, a 37-year-old Black woman, was held at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Los Angeles County. Her parents, Elaine Bridges and Jimmie Lee Moore, are pursuing a wrongful death suit, and a former detainee who knew her called her 'a beautiful person both inside and out.' On the morning of November 8, 2014, she began struggling to breathe; her cellmate repeatedly pressed the emergency button and shouted for deputies, who arrived late, and paramedics found her in cardiac arrest before she was declared dead at a hospital. The family's lawsuit says the delayed response contributed to her death, while a March 2015 autopsy by deputy medical examiner Dr. Vladimir Levicky attributed it to asthma and classified the manner as an accident; the sheriff's department disputes any mishandling.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The deputy medical examiner attributed her death to asthma, but her family's lawsuit says deputies arrived late after her cellmate repeatedly pressed the emergency button, and that the delay contributed to her death.
Reported by: Deputy medical examiner Dr. Vladimir Levicky (medical examiner or coroner); Unique Moore's family lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Her family sued over the delayed deputy response to her breathing emergency at the Century Regional Detention Facility, and the sheriff's department disputes any mishandling; no settlement or award amount was reported.