A federal lawsuit filed by the family of a 31-year-old man who died in a jail cell blames inaction by officers for the death of Timothy Vong.
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports the lawsuit alleges six officers failed to get medical treatment for Vong’s head injuries as he sat in a holding cell at the West Mifflin Police Department in Pennsylvania.
Vong would become comatose and die several days later this past July.
According to CBS News, the coroner declared Vong’s death a homicide.
“Why didn’t you help my cousin, dying on the floor in your cell? Why didn’t the officers who arrested him and put him there, why didn’t they do anything? He was crawling around for hours,” said Vong’s cousin Jonathan Nguyen to CBS.
WTAE reported police took Vong to their holding cell after responding to a call about a drunk individual attempting to enter into a home. He was apprehended on suspicion of intoxication.
Police said he had been in a fight earlier during which he was struck in the head. Video from the holding cell obtained by WTAE reportedly showed officers trying to rouse Vong for several minutes before paramedics arrived.
“It’s a humanity issue. It’s an issue of how we deal with each other and how we make sure that these things don’t happen, because Timothy Vong was 31 years old, and he left behind two young children,” the family’s attorney, Alec Wright said to WTAE.
A city spokesperson said the chief of police, mayor, city manager or board would have no comment on the lawsuit.
West Mifflin is southeast of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County.
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