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August 09, 2007

Update: ACLU seeking medical policies for detainees

It could take three months to determine why a Brazilian man died Tuesday while in custody, according to the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiners.

Edimar Alves Dearaujo, 34, a Brazilian national of Milford, Mass., died Tuesday at Rhode Island Hospital 78 minutes after being taken into custody in Woonsocket by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to Paula Grenier, an ICE spokeswoman in Boston.

The medical examiners' office released a statement this afternoon, saying the cause of death is "pending further studies." Ancillary testing could take up to three months, the statement said.

Also today, the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it has filed an open records request to obtain copies of Woonsocket Police Department policies on how the medical needs of individuals in the department’s custody are handled.

The ACLU has also called on the state attorney general "to conduct an immediate inventory of other municipal police department policies across the state regarding the provision of medication to detainees who may have emergency medical needs."

Federal authorities are investigating the death, according to Grenier.

Dearaujo's sister has said that he was an epileptic who needed medication, but that the Woonsocket police would not let her deliver his anti-seizure medication when she showed up at the police station.

According to a press release, the ACLU's letter to Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch states: “Obviously, we have no first-hand knowledge of what transpired in this particular case, but we believe undertaking this inventory is essential in order to determine if appropriate procedures are in place so as to prevent similar tragedies like this from occurring. If the policies are deficient, we hope you will do all that is necessary to ensure that proper screening protocols are promptly adopted by all police departments in Rhode Island.”

For more background, read today's Journal story on the death.

Posted by Jack Perry  at 1:30 PM | Permalink

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