The family of a diabetic man who died while in custody at the San Diego Central Jail after not receiving insulin is suing the county and dozens of others. His name was Keith Bach, and the medical examiner said his death was a homicide. NBC 7’s Dana Williams reports.
The family of a diabetic who was allegedly not provided enough insulin by San Diego County jail staff and died as a result has filed a federal lawsuit against the county, among others.
The family of Chula Vista resident Keith Bach says jail staff members were aware he required insulin three times a day, yet over the course of a 19- hour period, he did not receive a single dose and was not seen by jail medical staff.
Bach died three days after his arrest.
The complaint filed last month in San Diego federal court says Bach's cause of death was diabetic ketoacidosis due to "insufficient insulin administration while in custody." The complaint states Bach's manner of death was classified as a homicide in a report from the medical examiner's office.
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Citing other well-publicized incidences of people dying while in San Diego County sheriff's custody, attorney John Gomez, whose firm represents the Bach family, called the San Diego Central Jail "the deadliest jail in our state."
At a news conference held in front of the jail, Gomez called on state and federal prosecutors to investigate deaths at the jail and for the county Board of Supervisors to take action.
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"It's an embarrassment to all of us that live in this county," Gomez said.
Bach, 63, was taken into custody on Sept. 25, 2023, after throwing a remote control at the wall of his home, according to his family's attorneys. Gomez said that type of behavior sometimes happened when Bach didn't properly manage his sugar levels, causing him to undergo mood swings.
After his arrest, attorneys say jail staff was informed of his condition and insulin requirements.
The complaint states he received his last dose of insulin just before 2 a.m. Sept. 27, then was not seen by medical staff for the next 19 hours. Other inmates told deputies that Bach's "insulin pump was beeping and that his pump was empty," but he was not treated or provided insulin, according to the complaint.
During this time, Bach's wife received notifications informing her that her husband's insulin pump was empty. When she tried to bring more insulin to the jail, she "was told he would be taken care of by the jail's medical staff and deputies," the lawsuit states.
The sheriff's department sent NBC 7 the following statement by email on Thursday:
"The Sheriff's Office continues to extend our sympathies to Mr. Bach's family, and everyone affected by his death.
"The Sheriff's Office takes all cases involving the death of an individual in our custody very seriously. Every case is thoroughly investigated by the Sheriff's Homicide unit. In Mr. Bach's case the findings of the Homicide Unit were presented to the District Attorney and the United States Attorney's Office for review regarding potential criminal liability. In addition to the Homicide Unit's investigation submitted to the prosecutors for their review, the Sheriff's Office is conducting a separate administrative investigation into the matter.
"Pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement between the Sheriff's Office and the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), CLERB was notified of Mr. Bach's passing. A CLERB representative responded to the scene at the time of the incident and the CLERB is conducting its own independent review of the incident as well.
"A final CIRB review will take place after the District Attorney makes a decision regarding potential prosecution.
"As the matter involves pending civil litigation and is also under review by prosecutorial authorities, we are unable to provide further comment on the case at this time."
