“Organizers say Anna Brown died alone in a jail cell because she had three strikes against her: she was homeless, she was black, and she was a woman.” – The St. Louis American, April 6, 2012
An inaccurate diagnosis by medical authorities and questionable police conduct are two issues that have been raised in the aftermath of the death of Anna Brown. Seven minutes and 55 seconds of eerie video footage reveal Brown being dragged into a jail cell and left unattended, only to die minutes later. Ultimately, it looks as though she was victimized by the same social safety net that was supposed to help her.
Who was Anna Brown?
Anna Brown, 29, was from Berkeley, Missouri, a small community near St. Louis. No doubt she was dealt a rough hand in life.
The mother of two had problems with demons that she was unable to shake. Some of those evil spirits may have been the basis for authorities removing her children and placing them with their grandmother. Then again, maybe it was the tornadoes that bulldozed through North St. Louis two years ago, which caused her to pick up and move to Berkeley.
Whatever the reason for her difficulties, Brown still deserved responsible medical care and police treatment.
What happened?
On September 20, 2011 at 11: 45 am, Anna Brown entered St. Mary’s Health Center emergency room in Richmond Heights, close to Berkeley. Seeking treatment for a swollen left ankle, x-rays and an ultra sound on both legs proved negative; she was then discharged. In the early morning hours of September 21, 2011, she returned to St. Mary’s with abdominal complaints.
Following another examination, she was released at 7:00 am. Still feeling ill, Brown told medical staff about her condition; however, no other treatment was rendered. Not knowing what to do or where to go, Brown just sat there in a wheelchair.
In a story published by St. Louis Today, on March 25, 2012, “Woman unhappy with care at St. Mary’s hospital is arrested for trespassing, dies in jail,” writer Christine Byers reports a security guard, Steve Schaffer, heard Anna Brown complain that she “did not receive adequate medical attention and did not have to leave.”
Brown remained in her wheelchair until 10:00 am. By that time, she could not stand or walk due to the pain in her legs. That’s when Richmond Heights Police arrived. The hospital reported her as a trespasser. Brown would have been arrested on the spot had the police and hospital not been convinced that she still needed further treatment.
At 12:25 pm, after yet another round of tests, Brown was cleared for release by the hospital and then handed over to the police who took her into custody. She is quoted in Byers article as saying to police, “I can’t put any pressure on my legs.”
What did the police do? They simply lifted Brown up, one under each arm and placed her in the back of their car, handcuffed. As if that was not bad enough, once at the station, police carried Brown, stretched out by her arms and legs, into a jail cell where they laid her down on the cold hard floor. She was never seen alive again.
Within half an hour Brown was dead. It was later found that blood clots had traveled from both legs into her lungs. An autopsy concluded there were no drugs in her system.
The videotape
- Anna Brown on the floor of jail cell
Surveillance video from September 21, 2011, obtained by the St. Louis-Post Dispatch, contains seven minutes and 55 seconds of footage showing Brown in the emergency room, the back of the police car and finally her final moments in the jail cell.
After watching the video, there is no doubt Brown was close to unconsciousness. It is quite clear that three police officers, wearing gloves, can be seen carrying Brown into the cell and merely depositing her onto the grey colored floor. Someone would be hard pressed to say the scene was taken out of context.
Investigations have been done and St. Mary’s contends Brown received adequate medical treatment. Nonetheless, almost seven months later, friends, family and community members are left wondering how this could have happened.
Recently a demonstration was held in front of the St. Louis County government building in Clayton, calling attention to the tragedy. Unanswered questions remain about Anna Brown’s death.