By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A POLICE officer testified that it was “highly unusual” for there to be a six-hour gap between the last recorded welfare check on Hartman Dawkins, a 60-year-old man in custody at Central Police Station, and the discovery of his body in his cell the following morning.
The statement came during an inquest before Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, which is examining the circumstances of Dawkins’ sudden death on January 22, 2023. Officers reportedly found him unresponsive in his cell during routine morning checks.
A five-person jury could return a verdict of gross negligence regarding police conduct in the case.
Corporal 3665 Cardia Wood testified that she arrived at Central Police Station at 7.47 am for her 8 am to 4 pm shift. Upon arrival, Reserve Corporal Armbrister informed her that a detainee had been found dead in the cell block.
CPL Wood said she went to the cells and called Dawkins’ name, but he did not respond. She then reported the sudden death to police dispatch.
She noted that there were five officers at the station when she arrived, but she was the one who called in the incident.
She testified that she made the initial case diary entry regarding the death, recording that Dawkins was found deceased at 7.35am.
According to the detention record, Dawkins had been arrested at 1.40pm on January 21, 2023, and taken to Central Police Station at 5.20pm. The record indicates that Police Constable Walkins first took him into custody.
CPL Wood said officers checked on Dawkins hourly from his arrival at the station, and each time, he said he was “well” when asked about his condition.
However, the record shows that around 11pm, Dawkins was observed vomiting. When officers asked if he needed medical assistance, he allegedly declined, saying he was “all right.”
The last documented welfare check was at 1.28am, when Dawkins requested to use the bathroom and asked for water. Officers noted that he was sweating heavily and again asked if he needed medical attention, but he declined.
Marshal Angelo Whitfield testified that Dawkins had 19 recorded interactions with police before a case diary entry was made.
CPL Wood clarified that the case diary presented in court was only initiated after Dawkins’ death and was unrelated to the stealing allegation for which he was being held. When asked whether a case diary for the theft case was ever created, she said she could not confirm.
Mr Whitfield said the only case diary on record was the one related to the sudden death investigation. CPL Wood agreed that a separate case diary for theft should have been created after Dawkins’ arrest.
When questioned by the jury, CPL Wood said it was “highly unusual” for there to be a six-hour gap in welfare checks between the 1.28am log entry and the discovery of Dawkins’ body.
The jury also asked about the importance of documenting a detainee’s medication and dosage schedule. CPL Wood responded that it was “very important” to ensure medication was taken at the correct time and dosage.
When asked if it was standard procedure to withhold medical assistance from a suspect who was vomiting and sweating profusely if they declined help, CPL Wood said she would have called Emergency Medical Services regardless.
Constable Evans, who assisted with Dawkins’ intake and detention records, testified that Dawkins was brought in for a stealing allegation on Virginia Street and appeared to be in good health at the time.
Among his belongings, she said, were a bottle of alcohol and five prescription pills in a plastic sandwich bag.
Coroner Turnquest-Deveaux noted that the medication could have been critical to Dawkins’ health, yet no information about its purpose or dosage was recorded in the detention log.
She confirmed that while the pills were listed, no details were documented regarding their importance or dosage schedule.
Detective Sergeant 3109 Neil Munroe, a crime scene investigator, testified that on January 27, 2023, at 10am, he was given a bag containing Dawkins’ personal belongings.
Among the items were 80mg of Diovan pills, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and two bottles of vitamins. Other personal effects included deodorant, glasses, sunglasses, a car mirror, a phone charger, toothpaste, shoelaces, a belt, and a NIB card.
Photographs of the recovered items were displayed in court, but the jury pointed out discrepancies between the items shown and what was listed in the detention record.
When asked why the sandwich bag of five pills was not photographed, Sgt Munroe said he had only documented the items he was given.
The jury attempted to ask him what Diovan was used for, but Coroner Turnquest-Deveaux informed them that a pathologist would need to answer that question when one testifies.
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