Police claim that Aaron Rolle was fine in the hours before his death, but a pathologist testified yesterday that he should have experienced severe pain based on the injuries discovered during an autopsy. Sands estimated that Rolle could have lived for about 24 hours without medical attention after his small intestine ruptured.
Testifying at a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding Rolle’s death at the Southern Police Station, Dr. Caryn Sands said the ruptured intestine and resultant bleeding in the area were caused by blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Sands performed the autopsy on February 13, five days after Rolle, 20, was found dead in his cell. Rolle was arrested around 1 a.m. on February 7 and was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 7 a.m. on February 9.
Sands said the perforation to the jejunum (small intestine) was approximately the diameter of a pen.
She said the injury would have caused “acute abdominal pain” that would have gotten progressively worse.
Sands agreed that the injury was a medical emergency.
However, officers claimed that just hours before his death Rolle appeared fine and made no complaints of having pain.
Constables 2648 Carl Smith and 2126 Akiel Smith said they tackled Rolle and struggled with him after he bolted towards an open window on the second floor of the station during an interview around 5 p.m. on February 8.
Akiel Smith said he struck Rolle in the abdomen, thighs and buttocks with his baton. Smith said he did not think that he used sufficient force to cause death.
During her testimony, Sands said Rolle would not have died instantaneously. She said he lived long enough for reaction to occur between the white blood cells and bacteria from the intestine.
She said this reaction caused a film to form on the liver and diaphragm. However, Sands said the injury was recent but could not specify when it was sustained.
She said, “I can say that it’s recent. Two liters of intestinal contents were in his abdomen and purulent material was coating his bowel.”
Sands said Rolle’s left ninth and tenth ribs were fractured.
She said blood vessels near the kidney in the area of those ribs ruptured and hemorrhaged.
Sands said those broken ribs were not consistent with the administration of CPR.
She said she observed contusions to the lower back, right scapula (shoulder blade), left clavicle (shoulder bone) and thighs.
Sands estimated that Rolle was struck multiple times to separate areas of the body. However, she said the object was unknown.
Sands could not say how much force was used, but said the force was sufficient to “cause severe injury”. The inquest continues before Coroner Jeanine Weech Gomez on Wednesday.
By Artesia Davis
Guardian Senior Reporter
