The family of Armani Faison is suing the city of Philadelphia, saying the city’s prison system is to blame for his death last year.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Armani Faison, was detained at Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, and was moved from his cell after his cellmate, Kevin Massey, attempted to rape him in March last year.
Just three days later, Armani Faison, 35, was moved back to the same cell.
The suit alleged that Massey brutally attacked Faison for hours as his cries for help and those of inmates housed nearby went unanswered.
Authorities claimed that the cellmate at some point activated the cell’s sprinkler system, which flooded the cell. Still, no one came to Faison’s aid.
“Armani’s body was found the following morning naked, bloodied, and floating in six inches of water,” according to the suit.
The suit says that Faison’s injuries included abrasions and contusions to his nose, clavicle, shoulder, back, arms, legs, and neck, and extensive rectal hemorrhaging. He was pronounced dead at Nazareth Hospital shortly after a correctional officer discovered his body.
The federal lawsuit blames the city for placing Faison in a cell with a prisoner known to be violent and then failing to protect him as he was attacked and screamed for help. Faison’s father, Allrich Jean, announced the suit during a news conference with his lawyers in Center City.
“Armani has died a horrible death in the prison system of Philadelphia,” Jean said. “He was tortured by an inmate, and no one was there to protect him or help him from the inmate. Basically, what happened to Armani, I don’t want to happen to any other person, any other family.”
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Faison family attorney John Coyle said that in addition to suing the city for $20 million, he is calling on Mayor Jim Kenney to replace Carney, who he said has failed to adequately staff the city’s prisons, leading to the deaths of five inmates over nine months last year.
“This is a complete failure of leadership,” Coyle said. “We ask for Mayor Kenney to do what’s been long overdue and call for the resignation of Commissioner Carney.”
Faison was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of shoplifting, simple assault for tussling with store personnel, and arson. Officials have charged Massey with rape and murder for Faison’s death. He also faces additional charges in connection with the other incident involving his former cellmate.
