The Latest: Company responds to charges in inmate’s death

MILWAUKEE – The Latest on criminal charges filed against health care company for Milwaukee inmate’s dehydration death (all times local):

4:40 p.m.

A health care company facing criminal charges over a Milwaukee inmate’s dehydration death says it will “vigorously defend all claims.”

Prosecutors on Wednesday charged Miami-based Armor Correctional Health Services Inc. with seven misdemeanour counts of intentionally falsifying health records, including those of 38-year-old Terrill Thomas. He died after spending seven days in his cell without water.

Prosecutors say Armor employees claimed to have checked on Thomas while he was wasting away but surveillance video shows they hadn’t.

The company said in a statement it hasn’t reviewed all the allegations but “would never condone any criminal conduct by any of our employees.”

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3 p.m.

Prosecutors say the company that cares for inmates at the Milwaukee County jail faces criminal charges because employees lied about checking on a man who died of dehydration after water to his cell was shut off.

The Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday charged Miami-based Armor Correctional Health Services Inc. with seven misdemeanour counts of intentionally falsifying health records.

The company is the latest defendant to face charges in the death of 38-year-old Terrill Thomas. He spent seven days without water in his cell as punishment in 2016. Prosecutors say Armor’s staff claimed to have checked on Thomas while he was wasting away but surveillance video shows they hadn’t.

Armour didn’t immediately comment.

Three jail employees already were facing charges in Thomas’ death.