By C1 Staff
MILWAUKEE — A former Milwaukee County Jail inmate has filed a notice of claim against the facility accusing jail staff of ignoring her after she told them she was in labor, contributing to the infant’s death.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, lawyers for Shade Swayzer filed the claim against the Milwaukee Sheriff’s Office, claiming the staff are responsible for her child’s death. She is seeking $8.5 million in damages.
Lawyer Jason Jankowski said Swayzer told a CO her water broke as she was going into labor, but the officer laughed at her and walked away, the publication reported. The claim states she went into labor at midnight and gave birth at 4 a.m.
She didn’t receive attention until 6 a.m. Her baby was pronounced dead later in the day. The jail medical care staff said the baby was a stillborn.
Swayzer said her child was “born alive, cried profusely and was breastfed.”
A statement issued by the sheriff’s office said Swayzer never told staff she was in labor.
Officials have not released any additional information about the death or the autopsy results. A spokeswoman said the office had no further comment.