Milwaukee County Jail death, Armor Correctional fined $175K
Terrill Thomas
MILWAUKEE - Armor Correctional Health Services, Inc. has been fined $175,000 for the 2016 Milwaukee County Jail death of Terrill Thomas, court records show.
The Miami-based company was convicted of seven counts of intentionally falsifying a health care record in October. The fines must be paid within 18 months.
Thomas, 38, was jailed in connection with a shooting inside the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in April 2016. He faced felony charges in the case, but was found dead later that month from dehydration inside his cell after spending a week without water – his death ruled a homicide.
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The investigation revealed that multiple former employees of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office violated jail policies and procedures, including by turning off the water to Thomas’ cell, failing to log that his water was turned off and failing to preserve surveillance video from several days when these acts occurred.
Three jail staffers were convicted in connection with Thomas' death, too. Nancy Evans pleaded no contest to a felony charge of misconduct in office and sentenced to serve nine months in the House of Correction. Kashka Meadors pleaded no contest to a felony charge of abuse of resident of a penal facility and was sentenced to serve 60 days in the House of Correction. James Ramsey-Guy pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer and was sentenced to serve 30 days in the House of Correction.
Nancy Evans, Kashka Meadors, James Ramsey-Guy
The investigation into Thomas' death further revealed that multiple employees of Armor Correctional failed in their duties to provide medical care for others held in custody.
Prosecutors said those employees neglected Thomas by not providing appropriate medical care to him and by trying to hide that fact by falsifying his medical records, so it appeared the care was provided. No less than three other prisoners’ medical records were falsified by Armor.
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In 2019, Milwaukee County paid nearly $7 million to settle a lawsuit from Thomas' family, his death described as torture. The settlement included $6.75 million in all – $5 million from Milwaukee County and $1.75 million from Armor Correctional Health Services.