A federal grand jury is now investigating the 2018 death of Beltrami County inmate Hardel Sherrell, signaling possible criminal charges in a case that placed scrutiny on standards of medical and mental health care for people in custody.

Sherrell died on the floor of his cell after his pleas for medical help were refused for days. The doctor responsible for medical care in the jail has been suspended by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.

Sherrell’s mother Del Shea Perry is calling on Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute the case at the state level, too.

“We don’t need to wait for the FBI,” Perry said. “The state needs to move forward.”

There’s enough video evidence and medical records to pursue criminal charges against jail staff now, without waiting on the federal investigation, Perry said.

Sherrell, 27, walked into the Beltrami County jail on Aug. 24,  2018, without any apparent problems, surveillance camera footage shows. He died days later on Sept. 2 after his health deteriorated rapidly while he suffered the effects of Guillain-Barre, an autoimmune disease.

As he grew increasingly ill, eventually losing the ability to walk, Sherrell begged jail staffers and medical providers for help but they accused him of faking his symptoms to orchestrate an escape.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare condition but patients usually survive and live normal lives if provided timely medical treatment.

MEnD Correctional Care employees provided medical services to Sherrell and thousands of other inmates in jails across the state under the supervision of company president and physician Todd Leonard.

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