Death of autistic man in Pittsburgh jail due to negligence, systemic discrimination: lawsuit
New York Daily News, 10/17/23: “A lawsuit filed on behalf of an autistic man who died in a Pittsburgh jail alleges that negligence and systemic discrimination directly led to his wrongful death.
On Sept. 10, 2022, Anthony Talotta, 57, was taken to the Allegheny County Jail after a fight with a staffer at the group home where he lived. Eleven days later, while his family was working to get him released, Talotta, who had autism and developmental disabilities, died from an infection caused by a foot wound that was not treated at the jail.
In a federal lawsuit, Talotta’s family alleges the jail’s policies violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by hindering access to medical care for prisoners with mental illness or developmental disabilities.
The lawsuit also notes that at least 17 prisoners, many of whom had mental health or chronic medical needs, died in the jail between March 2020 and September 2022.”