Alabama man froze to death in jail after officers put him in freezer as possible 'punishment,' lawsuit alleges

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An Alabama inmate who froze to death in jail was likely forced into a freezer as punishment, according to a new federal lawsuit.

Walker County Jail officials allegedly placed Anthony "Tony" Mitchell, 33, "in a restraint chair in the jail kitchen's walk-in freezer or similar frigid enforcement and left [him] there for hours," possibly "as punishment for deputies who had ‘had a time with Tony,’" according to the complaint.

He died on Jan. 26.

"This is one of the most appalling cases of jail abuse the country has seen."

— Federal lawsuit against Walker County Sheriff's Office

"While Tony languished naked and dying of hypothermia in the early morning hours of January 26 and his chances for survival trickled away, numerous corrections officers and medical staff wandered over to his open cell door to spectate and be entertained by his condition," the complaint states.

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Walker County Jail officials allegedly placed Anthony "Tony" Mitchell, 33, "in a restraint chair in the jail kitchen's walk-in freezer or similar frigid enforcement and left [him] there for hours," leading to his death on Jan. 26, according to the complaint. (Attorney Jon Goldfarb)

Photos included in the complaint show officers handling Mitchell, who appears limp, in various areas throughout the jail. 

Mitchell's body temperature was apparently 72 degrees when jail officials put him in a sheriff's vehicle on the morning of Jan. 26 and drove him to the hospital rather than calling an ambulance, according to the lawsuit.

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The physician who examined Mitchell wrote the following: "I am not sure what circumstances the patient was held in incarceration but it is difficult to understand a rectal temperature of 72° F 22° centigrade while someone is incarcerated in jail. The cause of his hypothermia is not clear. It is possible he had a underlying medical condition resulting in hypothermia. I do not know if he could have been exposed to a cold environment. I do believe that hypothermia was the ultimate cause of his death."

Photos included in the complaint show officers handling Mitchell, who appears limp, in various areas throughout the jail.  (lawsuit)

The Walker County Medical Examiner has yet to release Mitchell's autopsy report, but "it is clear that Tony’s death was wrongful, the result of horrific, malicious abuse and mountains of deliberate indifference," the lawsuit states. 

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Mitchell's mother, Margaret Mitchell, brought the lawsuit against Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith, 10 corrections officers, two nurses and one investigator.

The Walker County Jail told Fox News Digital it is not making any comments at this time.

Mitchell's mother, Maragret Mitchell, brought the lawsuit against Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith, 10 corrections officers, two nurses and one investigator. (Attorney Jon Goldfarb)

The complaint also mentions a corrections officer who displayed "heroism" when she "dared to preserve security camera footage on her phone and get the recordings to the [Mitchell] Estate."

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office initially arrested Mitchell on Jan. 12, when they received a phone call from one of his "concerned" family members saying Mitchell made statements insinuating that he could "harm himself or others," the sheriff's office said in a Jan. 13 Facebook post.

"Mitchell immediately brandished a handgun, and fired at least one shot at Deputies before retreating into a wooded area behind his home," the sheriff's office said at the time.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office initially arrested Mitchell on Jan. 12, when they received a phone call from one of his "concerned" family members saying Mitchell made statements insinuating that he could "harm himself or others," the sheriff's office said in a Jan. 13 Facebook post. (The Walker County Sheriff’s Office)

A SWAT team finishing up a training session responded to the scene at the 33-year-old's home and found Mitchell in a metal structure in the woods behind his home before taking him into custody.

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Mitchell had "a history of drug addiction," according to the lawsuit. He lived alone after his father died in 2022, and his mother would pay his bills and drop off food for him. The 33-year-old's cousin, who was the last person to interact with him prior to his arrest, said Mitchell was delusional and had lost about 90 pounds.

The lawsuit alleges that Walker County authorities violated Mitchell's civil rights and ultimately ended his life by "improperly training, re-training, instructing, supervising, [and] disciplining" jail officers.