Veteran says he had a stroke inside DeKalb jail because deputies wouldn’t give him cancer drugs

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A veteran is claiming that he had a major stroke while being held in the DeKalb County jail after he was refused his cancer medication.

He told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes that he is innocent and will likely die in jail while he waits for his day in court.

Rickey Carter is currently confined to a hospital bed, according to his attorney Doug Weinstein.

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“He’s an honorably discharged vet, he’s fully incapacitated with this cancer - it’s eating up his spine. It’s really terrible,” Weinstein said.

Carter is a 63-year-old former U.S. Marine who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma six years ago.

In February, Carter was arrested and charged with murder. He says he’ll prove his innocence if he makes it to his trial.

“They have not been giving him his medication. His blood is thickening from not getting this medication,” Weinstein said.

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A judge denied bond back in June because jailers said he was getting his medication and chemotherapy, but Carter says that cancer care has been inconsistent since he got there.

“By not giving him his medication, they’re depriving him of his constitutional rights and statutory rights in the state of Georgia, and they’re inflicting pain on him every single day,” Weinstein told Fernandes.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office sent Channel 2 a statement on Tuesday night that read:

The care and custody of inmates at the DeKalb County Jail is a priority and a responsibility we take very seriously. Some arrestees have critical and costly medical conditions that must continue to be treated, even though they are incarcerated. Working with our health services providers and local medical facilities, we strive to provide Mr. Carter and other inmates with the best possible care while in our custody.

Fernandes was able to obtain a copy of an emergency motion to get a bond that was filed three weeks ago. Weinstein says they are still waiting to get that hearing on the calendar.

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