Video: More Details Surrounding Chickasaw County Inmate Death

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)-A question of medical help is centering around the death of a Chickasaw County inmate.

It’s a story WCBI brought you earlier this week.

57-year old James Brownlee was arrested by state troopers on July 4th and died several hours later.

“I can remember when we was rolling up on the road block, we saw the blue lights and everything,” said Lille Brow, James Brownlee’s wife. “He was sitting in the passenger seat and I was sitting under the wheel. So, when we got up close to the road block, it was two highway men, they was running towards the car, and one run on the passenger side, one on the driver side, and they was opening the door and we was like, what’s going on?”

Brownlee said her husband was drinking that night, but never got behind the wheel.

“They was like we saw yall switch drivers and we were like, no, no, no and one of the highway men, I don’t know who they were, only thing I know is they are highway men, started telling me, you lying, you lying, like we saw yall,” said Brownlee. “We were constantly telling them we didn’t switch, but then they pulled my husband out the car and they took him.”

Brownlee said she remained parked on the side of the road and called her daughter and her son-in-law to come to the roadblock.
All three said they heard James Brownlee yelling in pain and asking for help.

“I saw him next, and he was like this right here,” she said.

He was taken to the Chickasaw County Jail on Monday night. He was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license, no proof of insurance, possession of beer in a dry county, child endangerment, and a seat belt violation.

Early Tuesday morning, James Brownlee was found dead in his cell.

“It was just terrible, it was just terrible, I don’t want to think about it,” she said.

Brownlee believes her husband never received any medical attention at the jail.

Chickasaw County Sheriff James Meyers said he can’t comment because the case is being investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

However, he did explain the procedures his staff takes when an inmate comes in with a medical problem.

“Say for instance, if someone is brought in during the night, and they’re brought to our jail staff attention that there is some type of medical attention that needs to be seen,” said Sheriff Meyers. “We won’t accept them into jail until that’s been cleared my a medical person.”
MBI and MHP released a statement saying “We are actively investigating the situation, and can not release any information during an open investigation.”

Sheriff Meyers said he hopes preliminary autopsy results will be complete by tomorrow.