Officers at Southern Police Station ignored Aaron Rolle’s pleas for them to take him to the hospital, a former detainee at the station told a coroner’s jury.
The testimony of Cordero Munroe contradicts claims by officers that Rolle was fine and made no complaints in the hours leading to his death on February 9.
According to pathologist Dr. Caryn Sands, he died from a ruptured intestine caused by blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Sands said the injury was a medical emergency and that Rolle would have experienced severe abdominal pain that progressively worsened.
Munroe said at first an officer said he would have Rolle taken to the hospital. But another officer told Rolle, “You [will not] escape on us again.”
Rolle, 20, was arrested near his family’s Ross Corner home around 1 a.m. on February 7 in connection with a previous escape from the same station in October 2012, the court heard in previous testimony.
Officers 2126 Akiel Smith and 2468 Carl Smith testified that they had to forcibly restrain Rolle when he tried to escape through a second floor window.
Munroe said that Rolle’s demeanor was different when officers brought him back to his cell around 2 or 3 p.m. on February 8.
He said Rolle was walking as though he was in pain. He said Rolle had his head hung down and didn’t look in the other cells as he ordinarily would.
Munroe said that shortly after the officers left the cell block, Rolle told the other suspects who were in custody that the officers had beaten him badly and he was in pain and felt that his ribs were broken.
Munroe said another suspect was upset with Rolle for snitching on him and causing him to be arrested.
But Munroe said the suspect eased up after Rolle told him that he called his name after the officers beat him up.
Munroe estimated that Rolle and other suspects told officers about his condition about 20 to 30 times. He said a Haitian man, Jacqueline Desarvines, was put into Rolle’s cell around 1 a.m. on February 9.
Munroe said Desarvines complained that Rolle was vomiting and coughing up blood and the cell smelled bad. Desarvines won’t be testifying because he was deported shortly after his release.
Munroe testified that he heard Rolle ask, “Who [is that] walking in the hallway?”
Munroe said no one was in the hallway.
“I guess he saw death coming,” Munroe surmised.
A short time later, Munroe said Rolle’s cell mate called out “Boy dead”.
Christina Galanos, who represents the deceased family’s interests, asked Munroe if he gave a statement to Sgt 2337 Brown.
Munroe said, “I was in fear. I couldn’t tell her all of that. I was in custody. They had just killed someone. I was afraid for my life.”
He added that he was aware that another person had died at another station before Rolle.
Jamie Smith, 35, died from asphyxia (lack of oxygen) on February 8, hours after his arrest on suspicion of armed robbery.
By Artesia Davis
Guardian Senior Reporter
