MADISON COUNTY, Ill. – The family of Zareef Fawaz announced plans Tuesday to file a wrongful death lawsuit after Fawaz died from a blood clot while in custody at the Madison County Jail last year.
Fawaz, who would have turned 50 on Tuesday, reportedly told his sister before his death that jail officers were not providing him with his prescribed blood thinners, which he needed to take daily.
“It’s cruel and unusual punishment for a sick man to beg a plead for his medicine, and you deny him that medicine,” attorney Ben Crump said.
Latoya Simmons, speaking on behalf of the family, stated, “All we want is justice. All we want is somebody to say we fumbled the ball. We should have [done] this. We should have [done] better. We should have heard his cries.”
Fawaz’s family believes that if he had received the life-saving medication he needed for his blood clots, he would still be alive today.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of inmates and the responsibilities of jail authorities to provide necessary medical care.
All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.