Family and Friends of a Stephenson County Jail Inmate Demand Answers Over His Death
By: Vi Nguyen
Updated: April 12, 2012
"They wasn't do their job at all. Period. I mean, they could've saved my brother," said Lashanda Williams.
Dozens of family and friends rallied in front of the Stephenson County Courthouse demanding justice and answers in the death of 28-year-old Robbie Williams Junior.
Williams died Sunday at FHN Memorial Hospital. Initial reports call it a medical incident, but his family says guards didn't respond soon enough.
"The guards took 15 minutes to respond to the emergency button being pushed. The button is for emergency. They take it as a joke-- the staff there," said family friend Amanda Wenger.
Not true says Stephenson County Sheriff David Snyders. He says an officer arrived within a minute of the emergency call.
"The staff as well as Freeport's officers were performing CPR. They actually used a fullbulator on Mr. Williams to revive him. So there was constant medical assistance being provided to him," said Sheriff Snyders.
The family claims the Stephenson County Jail doesn't provide adequate medical attention for any of its inmate.
Sheriff Snyders argue it's the law to provide appropriate medical attention in each case and the jail is monitored to make sure it happens.
"We take these matters seriously. We do have a health provider on staff through a contract that we have with a health provider company," the Sheriff said.
But those words and actions aren't enough to comfort Williams' family.
"They're supposed to take care of the inmates in there. You know? They're not in there because they're just some lost soul people. They're human beings," said Antonio Allen.
