Tonight, an asthma attack has left Kolbe inmate, 32 year old Phillip Devon Bowen dead.
Bowen, who was serving a 7 year sentence for aggravated assault had an asthma attack on Tuesday and died shortly after.
But his family says he didn't have to die. They are furious, accusing Kolbe of willful neglect. Jaleeza Roberts has the story:
Phillip Devon Bowen died in prison yesterday morning after suffering an asthma attack. He was initially taken to the facility's medical center in a crisis before being rushed to the KHMH; but he died in the ambulance eon the way there. His family is now seeking answers as to how this could happen to their loved one. His dad who said they spoke the day before:
Duesbury Bowen, Father of the Deceased
"I just spoke to him the day ahead, everyday he calls me so the day ahead he call, we were laughing and talking so he told me dad I don't want you to come visit me now, I want you to visit me when it's my birthday. You leave everything for my birthday because I usually go and take things for him so I told him what, you di laugh dad I will be 33 you know dad I will be 33 and I said Devon 33 is a rough year in your life you know, I said that is one of the roughest years so when you past 33 so when you pass 33, you are on a good step."
But he never lived to see 33 with his birthday a little over a month away on May 23rd but the family says the responsibility was on the Kolbe Foundation to know that with his asthma, his living conditions were not ideal:
Duesbury Bowen, Father of the Deceased
"You in the Kolbe foundation, you know every person you are bringing in, so if you know somebody has that kind of condition, you need to make sure that you have adequate place they can rest on and don't have to get in this kind of position and so I need to get my lawyer and see how I could get through with this."
"I heard a lot of little rumors from inmates inside because I have family inside, I have cousins inside there and what I heard is when he was in the cell he was hollering out saying help because he needs his pump."
Reporter
"And did he have that with him?"
Duesbury Bowen, Father of the Deceased
"Well I no sure if he mi have it with him, I heard he was requesting for them to refill it because it's something that they refill so he was asking for them to refill it and all of that I need to try to find out."
But the CEO of the Kolbe foundation says that his pump did not need to refill, that he got a new one 2 weeks ago.
His brother reflected on who he was a part from his life in prison:
Deandre Pitter, Brother of the Deceased
"He was a joyous person, like dance, like play drum and dance jankunu. Pitter was a lot of grinning and acton every time. Everytime we were around Biggs because that's his nickname Biggie, always active always happy, he would cook for you and he loved to help he takes care of everyone like he's their child. Young and old."
"Saturday he called and told my son check on your cousin and tell her daddy loves her because he has his daughter 11 in the US."
"I just have to cope, pray up, make the father lead the way."
And a father says that despite the deeds of his son - who was serving a 7 year sentence for aggravated assault, he should have never died this way.
Duesbury Bowen, Father of the Deceased
"I want to know exactly what happened because it's not like my son was sick, he calls all our family everyday and so I think Kolbe foundation, we need to get some kind of compensation or so."
"Everybody loves their loved one it could be good it could be bad but end of the day we are all human and everybody goes through different things everybody will have a lot of negative and a lot of positive but you know where you stand so you have to just, I just have to calm myself and no pay nobody any mind."
The family will be taking legal action against the Kolbe foundation but for now they must bury their loved one. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
The Kolbe foundation has not had a doctor at the prison clinic for the past 6 months, and an EMT is their first responder.
