DETROIT.
LOCAL 4 AT 11:00 STARTS NOW.
DELIVERY.
>> I AM JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE I
SAY, IN SHOCK.
>> Anchor: MOTHER DENIED A
TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL.
>> YOU KNOW, I HAD MY SON A
MONTH EARLY.
ON THE DIRTY JAIL CELL FLOOR.
>> Anchor: NOT FIRST TIME
THIS JAIL HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF
IGNORING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
>> Anchor: EVERYONE LOOKED AT
HER LIKE SHE WAS A PIECE OF
DIRT.
>> Anchor: JESSICA PRESTON
WAS IN MACOMB COUNTY JAIL ON
SIMPLE DRIVING OFFENSE AND WENT
INTO LABOR.
>> Anchor: TOLD MEDICAL STAFF
THREE TIMES SHE WAS HAVING A
BABY.
NO ONE BELIEVED HER.
KEVIN DIETZ LIVE AT THE MACOMB
COUNTY JAIL.
KEVIN YOU HAVE INVESTIGATED TWO
RECENT CASES WHERE PEOPLE
MEDICAL EMERGENCIES DIED BEHIND
BARS.
>> Reporter: PATTERN IS
EMERGING HERE AT THE MACOMB
COUNTY JAIL.
HOSPITAL A STONETHROW AWAY.
YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HERE.
THERE.
BARS.
NOW THIS LOCAL MOTHER PREGNANT.
IN JAIL ON A SUSPENDED DRIVING
CHARGE S FORCED TO HAVE HER BABY
BEHIND BARS.
SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT A BABY'S
FIRST CHRISTMAS.
JOY AND WONDERMENT OF IT ALL.
TODAY ELIJAH, HAPPY AND HEALTHY.
BUT NINE MONTHS AGO HE SUFFERED
A DRAMATIC INJUSTICE.
NO BABY SHOULD ENDURE.
THIS BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY BORN ON
A JAIL CELL FLOOR IN FILTH.
BECAUSE MEDICAL STAFF AT THE
MACOMB COUNTY JAIL WOULD NOT LET
ELIJAH'S MOTHER GO TO THE
HOSPITAL TO GIVE BIRTH.
ELIJAH'S FATHER MISSED THE BIRTH
OF THE SON.
HIM.
>> Reporter: JAIL REFUSED TO
LET JESSICA GO TO THE HOSPITAL A
LIE JA'S FATHER IS ANGRY.
>> HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME OR
PLACE.
IT IS MONTH EARLY.
WILL HE BE OKAY?
>> Reporter: JESSICA PRESTON
PULLED OVE FOR DRIVING ON A
FIRST OFFENSE.
EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT ORDERED TO
SEE PAY $10,000 CASH BOND.
SHE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY SO
LOCKED UP UNTIL COURT DATE.
FIVE DAYS LATER JESSICA WENT TO
THE JAIL MEDICAL UNIT THREE
TIMES SAYING THAT SHE WAS HAVING
THE BABY.
HOSPITAL.
ELIJAH BORN BEHIND BARS.
WEIGHT UNDER 5 POUNDS.
AND A DANGEROUS DELIVERY FOR
BABY AND MOTHER.
AND JESSICA'S MOM WAS TERRIFIED
DIE.
>> I DIDN'T BELIEVE HER, THEY
LEFT HER LAY THERE.
WAS DIRT.
>> Reporter: PATERNAL
GRANDMOTHER LOOKING FORWARD TO
WITNESSING THE BIRTH.
WATCH HER SON CUT THE CORD.
NO ONE WOULD TAKE THE BABY'S
MOTHER TO THE HOSPITAL.
BEING.
YOU CANNOT.
IT IS NOT RYE.
IT IS INHUMANE.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THEM TO GROW
UP TO BE AN ADULT KNOWING I WAS
CELL.
AND WRAPPED UP IN A DIRTY SHEET.
>> Reporter: MACOMB COUNTY
JAIL HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF A TWO
YEAR INVESTIGATION.
JULY 7 OF 2013.
37-YEAR-OLD MOTHER JENNIFER
MEIJER DIED IN JAIL N FOR 30
SUPPORT.
HOSPITAL.
CELL MATES TRIED TO COOL THE
FEVER WITH WET CLOTHS AND BEGGED
FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION.
AFTER 12 DAYS SHE DIED OF
SEPSIS.
THE FAMILY IS ANGRY.
>> I COULD FEEL HER DYING AND
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.
>> Reporter: 11 MONTHS LATER
JUNE 27 OF 2014.
DAVID DIES INSIDE OF THE MACOMB
COUNTY JAIL THERE.
TO SERVE 30 DAY SENTENCE FOR
FAILING TO APPEAR IN COURT ON A
DRIVING.
HE LOST 50 POUNDS IN 17 DAYS AND
DIED FROM WITHDRAWAL FROM DOCTOR
PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS.
LAST 10 DAYS ON VIDEO.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE JAIL AND
MEDICAL STAFF SAW.
A MAN TWITCH HE CAN AND SEIZURE
NAKED ON CELL FLOOR UNTIL BODY
TOO WEAK TO TAKE ANOTHER BREATH.
HIS FAMILY IS ANGRY.
HELP HIM?
FLOOR?
COLD.
SWEATING.
ASKING FOR HELP.
AND YOU GUYS DON'T CARE.
SUPPORT.
A CARELESS DRIVING TICKET.
DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE.
TWO DEATHS AND BABY BORN BE
BEHIND BARS.
IT WOULD MAKE ANYONE ANGRY.
SHERIFF WICKERSHAM IS IN CHARGE
OF THE MACOMB COUNTY JAIL.
HE IS NOT COMMENTING TODAY.
AFTER THE DEATH WENT PUBLIC OF
DAVID HE SAID PRIVATELY HIRED
MEDICAL STAFF MAKES DECISIONS
DEPUTIES FOLLOW THE LEAD.
AND AN INVESTIGATION BY THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOUND NO
CRIMINAL WRONGDOING.
>> WE HAVE N IDENTIFIED ANY
PROSECUTESABLE VIOLATIONS OF
FEDERAL CRIMINAL LAW AND,
CLOSED.
>> Reporter: JESSI PRESTON'S
FIRST BAB BORN C-SECTION.
TOO.
HE WAS NOT
FORCED TO BE BORN VAGINALLY.
PRETERM UNDER 5 POUND
THE HOSPITAL.
AND INCREASING THE RISK F
MOTHER, AND BABY.
AND OUR INVESTIGATION IS JUST
GETTING RID STARTED.
TOMORROW 5:00.
DR. FRANK MCGEORGE WEIGHS IN ON
THE MEDICAL STAFF DECISION NOT
TO TAKE JESSICA TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND AT 11:00 HEAR FROM ELIJAH'S
MOTHER AS SHE WALKS US
STEP-BY-STEP CALLING IT THE MOST
TERRIFYING DAY OF HER LIFE
DELIVERING HER SON BEHIND BARS
AT THE MACOMB COUNTY JAIL.
A STORY NOT EASY TO TELL.
BRAVE FOR DOING IT.
AND ONLY SHARING THE STORY SO IT
KEVIN DIETZ, DEFENDERS.