WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) — A Walker County jail supervisor claims she was retaliated against and fired for exposing a video of an inmate's last hours alive inside the jail.
The video was obtained by ABC3340 News. A court filing on Monday confirms it was recorded by Karen Kelly, a corrections officer.
Attorney Jon Goldfarb of Birmingham represents Kelly. Monday Goldfarb filed a federal lawsuit against the Walker County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Nick Smith, TJ Armstrong, and investigator Carl Carpenter alleging First Amendment Retaliation.
In the court filing, Kelly alleges the sheriffs office lied to the public about the condition of Mitchell when he was carried out of the jail and taken to Walker Baptist Medical Center. The suit contends Mitchell was a mentally ill inmate who was unconscious and near death when he was transported to the hospital.
In the filing, Kelly claims she 'could not live with the Sheriff's Office's lie to the public, so she shared her video to make sure that the truth of what happened to Mitchell would not go to his grave with him.'
Mitchell was arrested in January of this year after a family member called law enforcement concerned about his declining mental health and drug addiction. Police say Mitchell fired a weapon at them. No one was hurt and Mitchell was arrested. His face was spray painted black and he appeared thin.
According to the lawsuit, Mitchell was left in a 'drunk tank,' naked in a cell most of the time on 'suicide watch' at the Walker County Jail.
After Mitchell died, Kelly searched jail video to check his condition and recorded segments on her cell phone. The video was shared with others and eventually news media sources.
-This report has been updated to include Kelly's photo.
Kelly said investigator Carl Carpenter took her phone and asked for the password to look through what she had recorded after news of the video leaked.
Kelly was terminated on Feb 9, 2023.
In a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of the Anthony Mitchell estate, it is alleged Mitchell froze to death in jail. The suit contends his life could have been saved if jail staff had called 911. Instead Mitchell was loaded up in the back of a police car and taken to the hospital.
The suit alleges Mitchell suffered horrific abuse and neglect while in custody. His body temperature was 72 degrees when he arrived at Walker Baptist Hospital.