KIRO TV – by Graham Johnson SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Video obtained by KIRO 7 through a public records request shows a Snohomish County Jail inmate questioning the breakfast he was fed that ultimately killed him.
Michael Saffioti, 22, was no career criminal.
He had turned himself in because of an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for marijuana possession.
The video comes from jail module E-4 on the morning of July 3, 2012.
Around 5:46, a group of inmates arrived to serve breakfast and men began lining up.
While others sat to eat, the camera first captured Saffioti at the guard’s desk, holding his tray.
Saffioti suffered from extreme dairy allergies and took regular pains to protect himself.
Because he had been at the Snohomish County Jail once before, guards had a medical file on him.
“Our theory is that they absolutely knew about Michael’s medical needs,” said Cheryl Snow, the attorney for Saffioti’s mother, Rose. Snow has filed notice of a $10 million claim against the county, which says no special diet trays were sent to the module that morning.
The video shows Saffioti apparently discussing his food with the guard, servers and fellow inmates.
Eventually, he took a few bites.
“We know that he asked questions and made inquiries and he was assured the oatmeal in the food was safe for eating,” Snow said.
Within a few minutes, Saffioti was back at the guard desk, using his inhaler.
According to the legal claim, he asked to see a nurse.
Instead, he was sent to his cell.
Over the next half hour, the video shows other inmates looking in Saffioti’s cell as he jumped up and down.
The legal claim says he pressed his call button and was ignored.
About 35 minutes after he ate, a guard found Saffioti unconscious in his cell, cell. The guard called for help and Saffioti was dragged him out.
Nurses arrived and performed CPR. Everett firefighters took over and rushed Saffioti to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a half hour later.
“This video shows Michael clearly made his needs apparent, that his needs were ignored. Once he suffered distress he was further ignored,” Snow said.
Snow had to file a public records complaint against the county to get the video, which she says backs up what witnesses have told investigators.
Her complaint says the county originally claimed the video didn’t exist.
Snow says she has also been prevented from interviewing officials from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office and responding Everett firefighters, despite early promises to Rose Saffioti of transparency from county officials.
“Instead of us having transparency we have come up against a brick wall,” Snow said.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/man-dies-food-allergy-shohomish-county-jail/nbhYh/
They likely poisoned his food on purpose not believing him. Probably had a laugh at his expense thinking he was going to suffer some diarrhea or something. This is murder plain and simple.
Yea, his mother has a 10 million dollar suit against the county, and the county will just raise the taxes to pay for it…….. Just think guys, if it wasn`t for the other so called inmates held with this guy the jail would most likely would have said he hung himself.
Its sad and ironic when ignorant people go to jail. they think once incarcerated, that they still retain rights????……….not!. you are reduced to
a number and treated as chattel(livestock). you are kept alive only by chance and luck. you are bartered as a financial tool of the jail facility. best thing to do from this point on is stay out of any jails. your risk of dying there is as high as when you are confronted by a po-lice officer/aka judge-jury-executioner. In jail, the squeaky wheel truly gets greased(killed).