Walker County sheriff wants to expand medical care at jail [Video]

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith held a press conference Monday afternoon surrounding an inmate that died in the jail over the weekend.

Investigators believe 47-year-old Siras Theus died from a medical emergency, but the sheriff said the medical monitoring devices he’s been requesting for months could have made a difference.

Sheriff Nick Smith says since he took office in 2019, he’s advocated for 24/7 medical services at the jail. Despite requests to the county commission, he says it has yet to be addressed.

He says in 1994, the federal consent decree mandated the Walker County Jail required 24/7 medical service, which has yet to be fulfilled. Given the current drug crisis, Sheriff Smith says it’s needed more now than ever before. Though they’ve managed to increase medical coverage to 16 hours a day, he adds it’s evident that it’s inefficient and that more coverage is needed.

In October 2023, Sheriff Smith says they submitted a …