The father of an autistic teenager who died in police custody after hitting his head on a cell door said his son desperately needed help and was simply trying to calm down.
Isaiah Trammell was mocked, belittled and threatened by nine guards while pleading for his medication at the Montgomery County Jail in Ohio. He was brought to the facility after an arrest following a mental health episode in March 2023.
Celsey Trammell, Isaiah’s father, told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield that he regularly hit his head to “calm down,” a common practice known as “stimming.”
“So, as Isiah was growing up, you know, because of his autism, he would have episodes, and it’s called pacing, and what it does is it allows them to self-soothe and self-soothe,” Celsey said. .
Disturbing video showed him asking guards on numerous occasions to “just talk” to him, but instead they said Isaiah was “ridiculous,” “embarrassing” and “acting like a jerk.”
Isaiah Trammell was mocked, belittled and threatened by nine guards while pleading for his medication at the Montgomery County Jail in Ohio in March 2023.
Isaiah’s father, Celsey Trammell (pictured), told NewsNation that he regularly hit his head when he was “stimulated” to “soothe himself.”
After being seriously injured, he was taken to a hospital and placed on life support for three days before he died. The corner ruled that he committed suicide.
Now, more than a year after the tragic incident, Celsey said he and his family have not heard from authorities about their son’s tragic death.
‘Not for now. We haven’t heard anything from anyone regarding Isaiah, but I will say that we miss him quite a bit, he was a fantastic human being and a great person to be around, and like I said, we really miss him. “added his heartbroken father.
Isaiah’s mother, Brandy Abner, also said her son was “stimulating” inside the cell to calm himself down.
“Some people move their arms, some people move their hands; I mean, he did all that too, but when he got really angry, he would hit his head,” Brandy previously told The Columbus Dispatch.
Isaiah was taken to jail after neighbors called the police because he had spent the night banging his head against a wall in his home.
He told officers that hitting his head against the wall was “the The only way I know to get rid of the madness in my head.
After being fatally injured, Isaiah was taken to a hospital and placed on life support for three days before dying.
Officers took Isaiah into custody after discovering he was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor domestic violence warrant. He had allegedly abused her sister and her husband.
His parents said they were unaware of the outstanding arrest warrant against their son.
‘Yes, that’s strange for us too. “It wasn’t the first time we called Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies,” Celsey said.
“In the past, usually when he had his episodes and was going through what he did, we would always call the sheriff’s department to come out and make sure he was okay and wouldn’t cause any kind of harm.” to himself or, or something like that.’
Brandy said, “We always call when he starts to get angry; it’s a mental health call, not an ‘arrest me’ call.”
The 19-year-old told officers he suffered from ADHD and did not want to live.
Isaiah was placed on suicide watch, meaning he was strip-searched and isolated in a secure cell.
However, according to the Dispatch, they did not give him a mattress, a blanket, or a suicide-resistant gown.
‘He hated that his body was exposed and he kept telling them. He hated being confined. That would absolutely trigger him,” his mother said.
Officers allegedly kept him in the restraint chair for more than an hour, which is against Ohio restraint standards.
The police officers also threatened to put him in the chair for the third time. The restraint chair is supposed to be a last resort and is used after administering medication.
When the distraught teen asked for his medications, a phone call and a blanket, he was denied, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
When one officer said they couldn’t use the restraint chair, another cop responded, “Just put the chair in front of his damn cell to make him stop.” Give him a constant reminder.’
The Montgomery County Jail Coalition has asked the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) to investigate Isaiah’s death.
Sarah Gelsomino, the family’s attorney, said they will “absolutely” take legal action against the jail.
Officers booked Isaiah after discovering he was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor domestic violence warrant. His parents said they were not aware of the order.
“Celsey and Isaiah’s family wants to make sure that they can do anything, that they will do everything in their power to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else, not in this jail and hopefully not in any other.” , so they.” “We are certainly considering all of their options, including a lawsuit here,” Gelsomino told Banfield.
When asked why no one saw that Isaiah needed medication and a proper evaluation, Gelsomino said his family has been left with the same questions.
“Unfortunately, that’s all I needed,” he said.
“He just needed to go to the hospital and Isaiah’s family had used the criminal legal system before to call the police, ask for help getting him to the hospital, getting him the help he needed, that help he asked for once he was in custody in this jail.’
“And you know, the fact that they stood still for so long while he caused himself so much damage is inexcusable.”
“This poor young man suffered so much and unnecessarily for too long,” Gelsomino added.
Yvonne Currington, a retired nurse and member of the Jail Coalition, agreed that the outcome would have been different for Isaiah if he had received proper care in jail.
Sarah Gelsomino, the family’s attorney, said they will “absolutely” take legal action against the Montgomery County Jail.
“Isaiah would be alive today if he had been treated with dignity and respect in jail by staff concerned about his health and well-being,” Currington said.
‘Instead of listening to his cries for medication, they laughed at him and ignored him. “We need accountability for what happened to him.”
The Sheriff’s Office said Dayton Daily News Monday that the ODRC Detention Bureau found “no deficiencies” in the way the sheriff’s office handled his death.
“The jail’s medical and mental health providers provided treatment to Trammell from the time he was booked into the jail until he was transported to a local hospital,” said sheriff’s office spokeswoman Christine Bevins.
“While people facing violent crime charges should not be released to society for treatment, our community needs a medical facility with an isolation unit that can better handle those in crisis.”