Ralkina Jones to Cops Hours Before Dying in Jail: "I Don't Want to Die in Your Cell"
On July 25, the day after she was arrested and jailed on charges of alleged assault, 37-year-old Ralkina Jones asked officers for medical treatment, saying, “I don’t want to die in your cell.” Less than 15 hours later, she was found dead in her cell.
Cleveland Heights police released about 30 minutes worth of body cam video showing Jones explaining her medical history, around five of which were released by the New York Daily News. In the clip, Jones lists five medical conditions, including a serious heart condition, to two seemingly sympathetic officers. Via Cleveland.com:
Jones told the officers she suffered from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which causes lightheadedness and fainting upon standing up. She also said she was taking medication for seizures, ADHD and depression.
Jones also told police about a brain injury she received from abuse from her ex-husband, the man who Jones was accused of assaulting the night of her arrest.
Jones’ sister in an earlier interview also said Jones had a heart murmur.
She tells the officers her main concern was the POTS syndrome, which may have affected her later that night—cops reportedly found her “lethargic” in her cell and briefly hospitalized her “for problems with her blood pressure and blood sugar.” They say she appeared fine during “periodic checks” they made throughout the night
But by 7:30 the next morning, Jones was dead.
Her family says they “do not fully understand all of the facts and circumstances surrounding her death but look forward to the results of the pending investigations.”
