By Macy Meinhardt, V&V Reporter, CA Local News Fellow
Keith Bach, 63, was found unresponsive on the floor of his holding cell at the San Diego County Central Jail last September. His insulin pump was found beeping next to his lifeless body when officers discovered him.
Deputies at the downtown jail had denied Bach his proper insulin dosage for 24-hours, despite knowledge of his type-one diabetic condition. At 4 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2023, Bach, a 20 year military veteran, died of diabetic ketoacidosis. Since Bach was dependent on others for his care, the manner of death was ruled as a homicide by the medical examiner’s office.
Bach’s case is part of a growing amount of preventable deaths that have occurred in San Diego jail systems in the last two decades.
In what’s becoming a familiar scene, activists, loved ones, and civil rights attorneys on behalf of the Bach family joined outside the San Diego Central Jail Thursday to announce a lawsuit against the County of San Diego and detention personnel responsible for Bach’s death.
“We are here to bring justice to the Bach family and demand change now,” said John Gomez, the civil rights lawyer representing the Bach family. “All too many San Diego citizens come here to die. Too many families have lost loved ones.”
Just four months ago, the county reached a historic $15 million dollar settlement with the family of Elisa Serna, a 24-year-old pregnant woman who died due to medical negligence while she was booked at the Las Colinas Detention Facility in 2019. It was the largest settlement the county has made over wrongful death, but it was not the Sheriff’s Department footing the bill.
“it comes from you and I, taxpayers,” said Yusef Miller, Executive Director of the North County Racial Justice Coalition.
One million of the settlement came from the medical group responsible for Serna’s care, the other $14 million was paid out by the county. Miller along with the family of Elisa Serna have since become fierce advocates in the fight to hold the San Diego Sheriff’s Department accountable for the ongoing inmate deaths.
A state audit released in 2022 identified San Diego County jail systems as being one of the deadliest in the state, documenting 185 in-custody deaths between 2006 and 2020.
“The high rate of deaths in San Diego County’s jails compared to other counties raises concerns about underlying systemic issues with the Sheriff’s Department’s policies and practices,” the review states, noting deficiencies with how the Sheriff’s Department provides care for incarcerated individuals.
Bach was taken into custody by Chula Vista police officers on Sept. 25 for vandalism and making criminal threats, according to sheriff’s office reports.
Prior to booking, he was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital for a medical clearance, where doctors noted that Bach’s insulin pump needed to be refilled. Once booked, lawsuit filings state, “Keith asked several deputies on numerous occasions [for insulin] and his requests went ignored.”
Other inmates also attempted to assist Keith in requesting insulin, pointing out to deputies that his pump was beeping and empty.
“Despite all of this, he received no insulin and no medical visits for more than 24 hours straight, as a result of that brutal and inhumane indifference, he died a terrible, horrible, painful death,” Gomez stated at the press conference.
The lawsuit is filed by Keith’s wife of 35-years, Cecilia. While her husband was in custody, she received notifications of his pump being empty and went to the jail to bring him more insulin. She was told he would be taken care of by the jail’s medical staff and deputies.
“They took away the love of my life,” Cecilia tearfully said.
NaphCare, the county contracted medical group, is also listed in the civil claim.
In addition to making a plea for the District Attorney and State Attorney General to hold the Sheriff’s Department accountable, advocates also called upon the San Diego Board of Supervisors to make a response.
The Board of Supervisors currently controls the $1.2 billion budget of the Sheriff’s Department.
“They control the purse strings of the Sheriff’s Department, and have the power to say ‘unless you make these changes, you’re not going to get the funding for other projects,” said Miller.
“We did not harm these people, but we’re paying for it. The Sheriff’s Department has a billion dollar budget. They’ll never feel the pressure if they’re not forced to make changes.”
