MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A civil rights lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by the wife of a 72-year-old veteran, who was tragically beaten to death by his cellmate in an Alabama jail. The complaint targets three deputies from the Macon County jail, claiming they failed to respond to the victim’s urgent requests for assistance during the incident.
The legal representatives for John Reed’s wife, Regene Brantley-Reed, assert that the deputies were aware of the ongoing assault and did nothing to help or provide medical aid to Reed, who depended on a wheelchair and required 24-hour oxygen support due to a lung condition.
According to the lawsuit, the three deputies entered the holding cell where Reed was being attacked but did not intervene to separate him from his assailant. Civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers, representing Brantley-Reed, remarked on the incident, calling it one of the most egregious cases of neglect he has encountered.
There was no record of legal representation for the deputies involved in the case as of Wednesday, and the sheriff’s office in Macon County did not respond to inquiries regarding the situation. Reed’s cellmate, identified as Daniel Pollard, 24, has been charged with murder in connection to Reed’s death. Pollard’s attorney, Jennifer Tompkins, noted that he has significant mental health challenges.
“In my 17 years of practice in criminal law, this situation stands out as one of the worst related to mental health,” Tompkins stated.
Pollard previously pled guilty to attempted murder and burglary in 2022 and received a 20-year sentence, with five years to be served in custody. He was released on probation in May 2024, as indicated by the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Attorney Chuck James, who is representing Brantley-Reed in Montgomery, raised concerns about why Reed, arrested on a charge of suspected driving under the influence, was placed in the same cell with Pollard. “These deputies had several chances to act appropriately; if they had done their job, John Reed would still be alive,” James argued.
The Macon County sheriff’s office has not provided explanations regarding Pollard’s detention, given that it was for a misdemeanor offense. Tompkins emphasized that this issue extends beyond just the county jail, claiming, “The mental health system in Alabama is so inadequate that we are not addressing mental health needs swiftly enough to avert such incidents. This creates dangerous conditions for not only inmates but also the jail staff.”
Brantley-Reed recalled how she was outside the jail, waiting with nearly $300 to secure her husband’s release, while the brutal attack unfolded. She only became aware of the gravity of the situation when she saw emergency personnel arrive at the facility and was then informed by an administrator that her husband had died.
The severity of Reed’s injuries was such that his wife brought photos to the funeral director in order to reconstruct his face for the service. Reflecting on their 16-year relationship, Brantley-Reed expressed deep sorrow, stating her husband had always made her laugh. She mentioned the heartbreak of his 95-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia and mourns her son daily, unaware of the loss. “It was just so unexpected and surreal that sometimes I struggle to come to terms with it,” Brantley-Reed shared.
