“He should be eating cake and opening presents and spending time with his family and loved ones,” she said. “Instead, I’m standing out here with you in the cold, demanding change.”
Trammell’s loved ones and members of the Montgomery County Jail Coalition on Tuesday held a rally outside of the county jail in honor of Trammell and others who have died in jail custody in recent years.
Trammell was brought to the Montgomery County Jail on a warrant in February 2023. Security footage from the jail shows him striking his head multiple times while in custody and being put into a restraint chair. He pleaded for medication before falling unconscious and later dying at an area hospital. He was 19.
Abner said that for her son, who had autism, jail was a “unique kind of hell.” While her son was at Montgomery County Jail, he was “tortured, called names, laughed at, provoked and made fun of,” Abner said.
Montgomery County Jail Coalition co-chair Joel Pruce said Tuesday that the jail coalition was first formed five years ago as the county was beginning its plans for the renovation of the region’s jail.
Since then, he said the jail has had “untold harm to members of the community.”
“We’re here to say again, no more deaths. Being arrested must not be a death sentence,” Pruce said.
Trammell’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month against Montgomery County, jail healthcare provider Naphcare Inc. and several jail employees. The lawsuit alleges that Trammell was denied necessary medical treatment during his time at the jail.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office previously commented that Trammell’s death was an “unspeakable tragedy,” saying the community needs a medical space for people to go when they’re experiencing a mental health crisis.
Trammell’s death was among seven Montgomery County inmate deaths reported in 2023 from January through July, and in December 2023, a man died after being transferred from the jail to the hospital.
Last year, another inmate died in custody after taking a gun from an officer while receiving care at Kettering Health Dayton.
Last month, Christian Black, 25, also died while in custody of the county jail. Black’s mother — Misti Black — attended Tuesday’s rally. Black’s family is working with a team of local lawyers to investigate his death. Black’s relatives have said Christian had no prior medical conditions and was a healthy, athletic 25-year-old.
The two mothers shared a long embrace on Tuesday.
Abner said she wants families who may share her experiences to know they’re not alone.
“I hear you, I feel your pain, I stand with you, and I will not stay silent,” Abner said.
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