Family reaches $1M settlement nearly 4 years after woman dies in Atlanta jail

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has learned the city of Atlanta has approved a nearly seven-figure settlement after lawyers said a woman died from diabetes complications in a dark cell at the Atlanta City Detention Center, and her death went unnoticed for hours.

Wickie Bryant died in 2015 at the detention center. A medical examiner's report said it appeared she had been dead for hours before she was found. In court records, the city suggested an officer checked on her five times in less than four hours the date she died.

In 2017, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed and disciplinary action was eventually taken against three nurses and two corrections officers.

The Atlanta City Council authorized a $995,000 settlement Monday, nearly four years after Bryant's death.

The victim's family told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne they hope Bryant's case shines a light on an important issue.

“We're still hurting,” Bryant’s sister, Mildred Sims said. “We still have pain.”

“The goal from the very beginning was to get justice for Ms. Bryant and her family,” said Stephen Fowler, one of the family’s lawyers.

“We're still praying,” Sims said. “There’s really not enough, really, that they could have settled with to bring her back.”

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Bryant’s family said they hope her death brings attention to the plight of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system.

“The system needs to change,” Sims said.

“While they don’t admit fault, the agreement to pay a million dollars to this family is a statement,” said M.J. Blakely, one of the family’s lawyers.

Lawyers for Bryant’s family said she was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge.

City jail authorities learned at intake about her diabetes, schizophrenia and more -- yet roughly a month later, she died from diabetic ketoacidosis and was dead for hours before her death was discovered, her body already stiff.

“She did not receive the proper medication that she needed to survive,” Fowler said.

The family lawyers said eight days before she died, Bryant -- with a history of serious mental illness --was moved to a cell where the lights didn’t work and had not for a long time.

The city said she was moved without supervisor approval.

The city suggests Bryant refused medical help on more than 20 days.

Lawyers for the family said under the jail's procedures, Bryant's repeated refusals should have triggered doctor visits for her.

Cox Media Group