SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The County of San Diego will pay $4.95 million to the mother of an inmate who died as a result of a lack of medical care inside Central Jail in February 2019.
CBS 8 obtained court documents showing the County agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Phyllis Jackson, the mother of 32-year-old Michael Wilson on October 23, days before the trial was set to begin.
On February 5, 2019, Wilson appeared in court on a probation violation for failing his drug test on two separate occasions.
According to court transcripts from Wilson's criminal hearing, Wilson's attorney asked the judge to allow Wilson to remain free until his secondary hearing due to Wilson's serious health issues.
Superior Court Judge Eugenia Ehyerabide did not agree and ordered Wilson to jail on a two-week "flash incarceration."
Reads Ehyerabide's decision, "At the end of the day there are still consequences for not complying with the terms of your probation, and with those two positive tests, the court believes that a flash incarceration is appropriate." Continued the judge, "I am mindful of the health situation, that is why I made, indicated, a sentence was a two-week incarceration."
Wilson was ordered to return to court on February 19, 2019, but was dead before that date would come.
During booking, jail documents obtained by CBS 8 show that Wilson informed deputies that he suffered from a serious heart condition, had a pacemaker, and required medication daily. Wilson also informed deputies he suffered from asthma and schizophrenia.
Despite Wilson telling jail staff his medical needs, medical staff, according to the lawsuit, failed to give Wilson his medicine.
On February 11, 2019, Wilson complained to staff that he was unable to breathe while lying down. It was six days after notifying guards of his medical condition and three days after complaining of a persistent cough.
Later that day, Wilson's mother, Phyllis Jackson called to try and get her son the help he required.
An entry in Wilson's medical chart read, "[R]eceived phone call from mother claims she got off the phone with her son. [She] claims her son is in distress...and unable to breathe and not receiving medications. Usually gets admitted to the hospital and wants to talk to the watch commander. Informed her I will send a nurse to the floor to evaluate patient for need of emergent care."
Jail records indicate a nurse visited Wilson and he said "meds were given" and Wilson felt, "well."
However, that same day, Wilson's sister also called the jail, saying the medication was not enough and her brother needed immediate medical attention.
"The patient's sister called informing the desk RN that she was just done talking to her brother and noted that he is in distress/short of breath, the patient stated that he was given Lasix earlier and helped a little bit but now he is again short of breath. Patient's sister stated that his brother has hx of Left Ventricle heart failure congenital in nature, housing Deputy instructed to bring the patient down to the clinic for an eval," reads Wilson's medical chart.
Medical staff treated Wilson for "wheezing" and gave him Robitussin, his inhaler, and then left him in "stable condition."
Staff checked on Wilson the following day, stating Wilson was "asymptomatic," and left with a "steady gait."
There are no additional entries until February 14, two days after Wilson's check-up.
At 8:19 am on February 14, 2019, Wilson was found unresponsive in his cell.
Wilson was pronounced dead at UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest at 12:48 pm. The medical examiner found Wilson died from "sudden cardiac death due to acute congestive heart failure due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."
Wilson's mother, Phyllis Jackson sued the County in 2020 for 'deliberate indifference to serious medical needs," among other causes of action.
The settlement comes as San Diego County taxpayers continue to shell out millions of dollars in settlements to those injured or to the family members of those who died in county jails.
In July 2024, the county paid $15 million to the family of Elisa Serna who died in Las Colinas after medical staff failed to treat her withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.
A spokesperson for the county declined to comment on the settlement due to pending litigation.
