Somali Man's testicle had to be removed, family says
The family of an inmate in the King County Jail is questioning whether he received proper medical attention for severe pain in his testicle, which family members say had to be surgically removed several days later.
Said Ali, who was sentenced Friday to 26 years imprisonment on robbery and assault charges, developed a medical problem while in custody this year. It happened in February or this month, although his family is not certain when.
A jail nurse examined him, family members said, but initially found no serious medical issue. The pain never dissipated, however, and he wasn't taken to Harborview Medical Center until his testicle swelled abnormally six days later, according to his sisters and an attorney handling Ali's appeal.
Ali, a young Somali immigrant, was convicted in connection to five robberies in the University District and Fremont last May. Victims lost iPods, cell phones, or purses. One victim was stabbed and another was beaten so badly, he lost consciousness, court documents say.
One victim identified him in a line-up, others said they recognized his face in a photo montage.
Family members, distraught over the sentence, said they were concerned about Ali's treatment inside the jail. They're still seeking more information about what caused his condition and what happened. Ali's appellate attorney, James Bible, said he is helping them look into it.
"We never thought in this country that we would have all of these problems. We thought he would be safe," said Deqa Ali, his sister, her eyes still moist from tears.
Deqa Ali said her brother told family members that he developed severe pain in a testicle, but wasn't taken to the hospital until six days later, when doctors had to surgically remove it.
James Apa, spokesman for the public health department, said Friday he couldn't confirm the family's account under medical privacy laws without Ali's permission.
"We'd like to share more information about Mr. Ali's medical care, but out of respect for his privacy and the law, we need to get his written permission first," he said.
Major William Hayes, the jail's spokesman, said he could only confirm that Ali was in custody.
Earlier this year, King County agreed to address several civil rights issues uncovered by a U.S. Justice Department investigation that found lacking medical care, poor suicide prevention measures and insufficient safeguards against inmate abuse. The county agreed in a settlement to make several improvements, one of which was to upgrade inmate medical care.
In another case in 2007, an inmate, Lynn D. Isley, died after Jail Health Services failed to diagnose a severe health condition, according to an independent report by the county Ombudsman's Office.
Born in Somalia, Ali's father was killed during the country's long civil war. He came to the United States with his mother and five sisters, who attended Friday's court hearing.
About 30 others came to show support. Judge Laura Inveen said the sentence was the lowest she could impose under the law. Four Somali community members spoke in support of Ali, describing him as an intelligent, hard-working man who had trouble re-adjusting to American culture without a father figure.
"I can't simply look at people's support. I have to follow the law," Inveen said.
Some of his struggles stemmed from a dispute over his real age. Immigration papers list him as 20, but family members and his defense lawyer say it was an error and that he is actually three years younger.
They say that due to the error, he was forced to go to school with older kids when growing up. His criminal lawyer, Michael Nance, presented a Somali birth certificate during trial to prove his client was only 16 when the robberies occurred, although he was tried as an adult.
Ali told his family of his medical problem during visiting sessions in jail. Suddenly, for a few days, they lost contact with him and didn't immediately know what happened, two of his sisters said.
Another sister, Fatima, said her family is concerned that Ali won't be safe in the state prison system.
"We want to know what happened to him," she said.
Source: Seattlepi.com
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