A Minnesota nurse has been charged in connection with the death of an inmate, who died after pleading for medical care, with court documents alleging she accused him of "faking" his symptoms even as he lay covered in feces.
Hardel Sherrell, a 27-year-old Black man, was booked into Beltrami County Jail in August 2018, where he began experiencing severe medical issues, including paralysis and difficulty breathing, WCCO reported.
Despite multiple pleas for medical attention, jail staff and medical personnel allegedly dismissed his symptoms. He was briefly taken to a hospital before being returned to the jail, where his condition reportedly worsened.
The jail contracted with MEnD Correctional Care, a now-defunct company that faced multiple lawsuits for inadequate inmate medical care.
Michelle Skroch, the then-director of nursing for MEnD Correctional Care, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of criminal neglect for her alleged role in Sherrell's death.
According to court records obtained by the outlet, she allegedly disregarded his worsening condition, failed to perform medical assessments and accused him of faking his symptoms even when he was unable to move, covered in urine and feces and showing signs of neurological distress.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Sherrell struggling to breathe hours before he was found unresponsive and pronounced dead on September 2, 2018.
Skroch was charged after a referral from the Beltrami County Attorney's Office. In 2023, a federal judge ordered Beltrami County and MEnD Correctional Care to pay $2.6 million to Sherrell's family following a lawsuit filed by his mother, Del Shea Perry, who has since become an advocate for reforming inmate healthcare.
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