Colin Kaepernick set to fund autopsy of person who died mysteriously in county jail’s hazardous conditions
Colin Kaepernick's fight for social justice remains active to this day, and the former NFL quarterback who last played in 2016 is set to fight the criminal system once again – albeit this time he's going to help a family in their own fight.
Kaepernick is set to fund an independent autopsy of the body of LaShawn Thompson, who died in the Fulton County Jail in September 2022. The family believes that he died due to the jail's unsanitary conditions, but the autopsy provided by law enforcement has come back undetermined, according to TMZ.
An autopsy usually costs between $20,000 to $50,000. With the quarterback's funding, a second autopsy can be done and perhaps the real reason for the death can be determined. The former quarterback contacted the family's attorney to offer to pay for it.
Colin Kaepernick to pay for autopsy of Black man who died in jail
Reports obtained by TMZ state that the quarterback was upset with the jail's sanitary conditions. LaShawn Thompson was arrested due to a misdemeanor simple battery, but the conditions lived by him and other inmates were deemed disgusting, his family contends.
Several pictures of the scene were released by the family with the intent of denouncing the extremely hazardous conditions, as well as his body, which contained many bug bites.
The family's attorney, Michael Harper, provided a brief statement on the conditions of the jail:
"The cell he was in was not fit for a diseased animal. This is inexcusable, and it’s deplorable"
Kaepernick is reportedly upset with the conditions where the inmates live. The Fulton County sheriff has deemed that the situation was unsustainable and three high-level officials have already stepped down:
"It’s clear to me that it’s time, past time, to clean house,” adding they're making "sweeping changes" to the facility," in a quote obtained by TMZ.
Kaepernick's fight for social justice has been inspiring over the last half a decade, even if his NFL career ended due to it. Seeing actions still being made by the former quarterback continues his legacy and mission.