Caddo grand jury clears deputies in inmate death; no word yet on findings in second death investigation

By Web Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Criminal charges against one or more Caddo Parish sheriff’s deputies are not appropriate, the Caddo Parish grand jury concluded Wednesday after reviewing how a dying inmate was treated at the parish jail earlier this year.

The grand jury decided not to file criminal charges in the death of Caddo Correctional Center inmate Casey Simpson, who died of medical problems, but after inspecting the jail it released a report saying certain protocols related to medical care there were not in place.

The grand jury’s findings in a separate case – the death of a 70-year-old man who collapsed after a Caddo deputy handcuffed him and put him in the back of a patrol vehicle – was not released. The grand jury’s report on Wednesday listed one secret indictment that would be made public after the accused is arrested.

The grand jury last week heard testimony about the death of William Walls, who collapsed March 18 after deputies went to his family property in far southwest Caddo Parish looking for a man named in an arrest warrant. The wanted man had spent the night before at the mobile home of one of Walls’ sons but was gone when deputies arrived, said another of Walls’ sons.

In what turned out to be a tragic case of miscommunication aggravated by increasing tensions, Walls – who lived in another mobile home on the property — thought deputies were looking for his son, who had been wanted in Bossier Parish but had addressed that matter. According to the Walls family and authorities who have investigated the case, Walls got another of his sons on the phone to clarify things, but the elder Walls was handcuffed by a deputy and put in a patrol car before he could do so.

Caddo Coroner Dr. Todd Thoma concluded there was no physical mistreatment of Walls, who suffered from heart disease. Grand juries can, however, look at whether the actions of law officers leading up to a person’s death were appropriate.

Caddo District Attorney James Stewart, whose office presents evidence to the grand jury, would not comment on the contents of the secret indictment. Stewart said the grand jury also heard evidence in several homicide and rape cases.

Caddo Correctional Center inmate Casey Simpson, 31, died March 16 after he was found with no apparent pulse and not breathing in his cell at CCC. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that afternoon.

The Caddo coroner said an autopsy concluded Simpson died of diabetes-related causes after organs shut down. Authorities said Simpson had repeatedly failed to take prescribed medications while at the jail, had complained of feeling bad for four days before his death, and had been evaluated at jail medical facilities twice in the days before he died. Authorities also investigated whether medical reports showing treatment the inmate received were accurate.

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator, through a spokeswoman, would not say whether any jail personnel have been disciplined.

Prator’s office said earlier that deputies conducted an initial- and a follow-up investigation after talking with Thoma about his investigation into the cause of the inmate’s death.

Simpson’s family criticized the quality of health care at CCC, saying it was obvious Simpson needed to be taken to the hospital.

“My son suffered a horrible death I wouldn’t wish on anybody,” Simpson’s mother, Laura Sabbath, said before the case went to the grand jury. “The truth needs to come out about what happened to Casey Simpson.”

The Sheriff’s Office said Simpson had refused to take his prescription medications on 102 occasions since he was booked into CCC last July. They would not release any other details about Simpson’s medical condition, citing federal privacy laws.

“Ironically, in our quest to follow the law and protect the privacy of Mr. Simpson, the Sheriff’s Office is left unprotected from unfounded claims of inaction,” Prator said in a statement after Simpson’s death. “But we are very sorry for the Simpson family’s loss and we offer our most sincere condolences.”

Simpson, who was serving a one-year sentence for evidence tampering in Caddo Parish, was also being held as a fugitive from Collin County, Texas, at the time of his death.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.