Man Dies After Being Taken to Jail Instead of Hospital, Lawsuit Claims ‘Urgent’ Care Was Ignored

California police caused the death of a man whose blood pressure had risen to “dangerously” high levels by taking him to jail instead of a hospital after he left an emergency room, according to a lawsuit filed by his family. A federal judge allowed the case to move forward last week by denying a motion to dismiss.

Abdul Kamara, 29, “was killed by law enforcement officers in the sallyport of the Vista Detention Facility” on March 3, 2024, after officers ignored a doctor’s instructions to return him to Scripps Memorial Hospital, the complaint states.

“Abdul should have never been at the Vista Detention Facility,” the lawsuit says, noting that “a few hours before, Carlsbad police and paramedics had taken Abdul to Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas due to concerns about his health and mental well-being.”

According to the complaint, Abdul “eloped” from the emergency room, prompting hospital staff to contact the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for help locating him due to concerns about his “safety and condition.” His blood pressure was reportedly 181/116 when he left.

“Scripps Hospital personnel told [police] to return Abdul to the hospital for a medical hold and evaluation when they found Abdul,” the complaint alleges. “Medical staff told [police] that Abdul was paranoid, delusional, and unable to care for his own safety.”

The family’s legal team said authorities had no evidence that Kamara committed a crime, had outstanding warrants, or harmed anyone.

Less than an hour after leaving the ER, officers found Kamara at a Valero gas station in Cardiff, about a mile from the hospital, acting erratically. The complaint states he was “crawling on the ground of the parking lot without shirt and shoes while wearing a hospital wristband” and making “nonsensical statements.”

Deputies allegedly knew Kamara was a hospital patient who had left the ER and could not care for himself or make sound decisions.

“They knew the ER physician and nurses wanted Abdul returned to the hospital for a medical hold because he needed to be evaluated,” the complaint says. “But instead of returning Abdul to the hospital for medical assessment and treatment, as they had been instructed to do by a doctor, deputies decided to arrest Abdul for being ‘under the influence,’ a misdemeanor, and book him into the Vista Detention Facility.”

Kamara died hours later in custody instead of receiving the medical care he “desperately needed,” his family claims. The medical examiner ruled his death resulted from complications of resuscitated cardiopulmonary arrest due to acute methamphetamine intoxication, with sickle cell anemia as a contributing factor.

The report also noted that physical exertion and agitation may have triggered a sickle cell crisis that restricted blood flow.

“Abdul had not resisted any officer commands; had not threatened any officer; did not flee; and had not acted in a threatening manner,” the complaint states. “Abdul only acted in a bizarre, paranoid manner that evidenced distress and illness.”

Despite lacking probable cause, officers allegedly took him into custody and used physical force at the jail, his family says, emphasizing he “urgently needed medical care.”

“For approximately seven minutes, six officers placed their bodyweight and downward force on Abdul who weighed only 136 lbs,” the complaint alleges. “Abdul had been compliant and cooperative with officers’ commands before the use of force. He was handcuffed and sitting on a bench. The officers’ use of force was precipitated by a fall — Abdul fell over while trying to stand up. This led six officers to use compressional force to restrain Abdul who was eventually placed in a WRAP restraint device and left on the ground.”

The complaint further claims that no deputies requested a medical evaluation, even though medical staff were present at the facility. “No one rendered aid to Abdul,” it alleges. “His head had been injured so badly that Abdul suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although Abdul should have been seated upright or placed in a standing position, officers left him laying on the ground.”

Police reports state Kamara began to “scream, kick, and flail” while being taken into custody, which officers cited as the reason for restraining him to prevent harm to himself or others.

The complaint also notes that Kamara was “paranoid and agitated” in the back of a patrol car, where he allegedly struck his head on the plexiglass divider, causing a bleeding injury.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said there were “no obvious signs of medical distress” and declined to file criminal charges against the officers.

“Based upon our review of the totality of the facts and circumstances, the law enforcement personnel involved in Kamara’s restraint did not apply unreasonable or excessive force that resulted in his death,” the DA’s office concluded.

Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia ruled the lawsuit could proceed, finding the family’s claims “meritorious” and supported by sufficient evidence to allege that failures by sheriff’s deputies contributed to Kamara’s death.

The sheriff’s office said it could not comment on the ruling or the case, citing ongoing litigation.