Witnesses: Jail guards mocked dying inmate
EVERETT, Wash.-- Rose Saffioti is trying to make the best of Friday night. She's keeping busy at her family restaurant along Mukilteo speedway, but mostly, she's thinking of her son Michael.
"When I have to sleep at night, and close my eyes, it's hard," she said. "Believe me, when I got the call that my son was dead -- I couldn't even -- like, why? Something was wrong."
Earlier this year, Michael went to the Snohomish County jail for one night. He had missed a court date and turned himself in.
He was asthmatic, had anxiety problems and self-medicated with marijuana to calm down. But he didn't have a medical card and it got him into trouble.
Michael was also acutely allergic to dairy. And that early morning changed everything.
"It was really hard to hear," Saffioti said.
In newly-released witness statements from other inmates, Saffioti's legal team alleges Michael was fed oatmeal that contained milk.
He became violently ill.
Witnesses claim that Michael turned on his cell's emergency light as he and inmates begged for help and pounded on doors to get attention. They believed the allergic attack was preventable -- and got mocked.
"And saying you're faking it? 'Shut up, you're going to the hole'? That to me is negligence," Saffioti said.
Michael Saffioti went into jail for one day and never made it out alive.
Rose says she armed the county with Michael's medical needs and was ignored.
"He tried to advocate for himself as far as allergies go and they just didn't take him seriously," Saffioti said.
So she's prepared to sue, barring the outcome of the county's investigation. The Sheriff's Office said the review is still being finalized and expect to release the full report in a matter of days.
But for Saffioti, it's another Friday night shift at the restaurant. Another night without all the answers.
"I want to know who dropped the ball," she said.
"When I have to sleep at night, and close my eyes, it's hard," she said. "Believe me, when I got the call that my son was dead -- I couldn't even -- like, why? Something was wrong."
Earlier this year, Michael went to the Snohomish County jail for one night. He had missed a court date and turned himself in.
He was asthmatic, had anxiety problems and self-medicated with marijuana to calm down. But he didn't have a medical card and it got him into trouble.
Michael was also acutely allergic to dairy. And that early morning changed everything.
"It was really hard to hear," Saffioti said.
In newly-released witness statements from other inmates, Saffioti's legal team alleges Michael was fed oatmeal that contained milk.
He became violently ill.
Witnesses claim that Michael turned on his cell's emergency light as he and inmates begged for help and pounded on doors to get attention. They believed the allergic attack was preventable -- and got mocked.
"And saying you're faking it? 'Shut up, you're going to the hole'? That to me is negligence," Saffioti said.
Michael Saffioti went into jail for one day and never made it out alive.
Rose says she armed the county with Michael's medical needs and was ignored.
"He tried to advocate for himself as far as allergies go and they just didn't take him seriously," Saffioti said.
So she's prepared to sue, barring the outcome of the county's investigation. The Sheriff's Office said the review is still being finalized and expect to release the full report in a matter of days.
But for Saffioti, it's another Friday night shift at the restaurant. Another night without all the answers.
"I want to know who dropped the ball," she said.
What was he doing going to jail anyway? Â We jail people for too many damn things. Â I feel sorry for the family of this young guy - regardless of what he was accused of doing.
Amongst other items missing from the story are the part where his mother "arranged" to have her son incarcerated in Snohomish County Jail rather than Lynwood where he had surrendered and the fact that the "evidence" presented here comes in the form of "eye-witnesses" who were also incarcerated at the time of the death. According to statements made by Anne Bremner, the attorney representing 22-year-old Michael Saffiotiâs mother in October, the young man was "forced to eat a pancake," not oatmeal. Though it may sound trivial, the point is at this juncture the public really doesn't know what he ate, whether he was forced to eat or if he did it on his own volition...  Did the guards mock him or were they accustomed to criminals lying to them? If you have never worked in such an environment, you really don't have any idea of how common such things are....Â
Thoughts and prayers to family and friends of this young man. It is heartbreaking that he tried to do the right thing, turned himself in and then died. There is NO EXCUSE for his death, nor for the way these BULLIES (guards) mocked him and refused the medical assistance he needed - these 'BULLY-BOYS' need to be brought to account, and possibly spend a few days in jail as an 'inmate' themselves....sounds like they need to learn respect for their fellow man, they are NOT the judges & juries and have no rights to judge any inmate nor treat them inhumanely -- as for why he was there -- those commenting here should not be judging either -- that is for a judge/jury/his doctors to make the call on the right or wrong of it....DEATH was NOT RIGHT!!!!! Just my opinion, of course, to each their own.....but think first, walk in someone's shoes first, and be educated on the issues involved ......
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I have a good friend who is severely diabetic and had a seizure in jail because the "guards" refused to bring him his food and insulin. He didn't die, but was forced to pay the bill for the ambulance ride to the hospital that saved him. This is why so many of us hate the current system and all of it's abuses. The individual(s) responsible for Mr. Saffioti's death should, at minimum be charged with negligent homicide.Â
an asthmatic who smoked pot..... doesnt sound like he took his breathing seriously....
 @Cheryl J Crouse-Wontroba And so that means he deserved to die? Marijuana is beneficial for many medical issues, that's why people are finally ready to get it legalized..AS THE TRUTH COMES OUT. Do your homework educating yourself and by the way, DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN? Sometimes before you speak you should try putting yourself in someone else's shoes! His Mother lost her child because of the negligence of heartless individuals...something PRICELESS THAN CAN NEVER BE REPLACED! I am so sorry for his family's loss. May God provide them with the strength to get through this very sad time.
 @Cheryl J Crouse-Wontroba You are an ignorant person! Cannabis has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years for asthma and other lung disorders. It's an expectorant and a good one! Do you know what an expectorant is ignorant person.You have no opinion on the murder of this young man by your government employees. Do you realize your taxes get raised to cover the liability insurance carried by your local dungeon.
 These turnkeys ought to get a chance at long term residency in your state pen. But not to worry I'm sure your local Sheriff will cover there moronic murderous derrierers!
What ever you drug addicts have to tell yourselves to justify your use.
 @Common Sense Just HAD to make a polite rebuttal:  real common sense would ALWAYS take into consideration that a persons efforts to 'feel better' is not entirely dependent on a doctors' advice nor limited to his prescriptions.  And our country's jails are full of people that just wanted to feel better.  Remember that very young toddlers spin in circles, get dizzy and fall down, laugh with those around them and go again.  Someday, sometimes, we ALL just need to feel better! Hope someday we all do.   PS Cannabis has always been medicine.  Try it, friend.  You might feel better.
 @Common Sense Did either you or Cheryl J bother to consider he might not have been SMOKING it? Smoking is not the only way to benefit. Oh, and keep it classy, BTW. Very high brow to be so callous that a kid whose offense was worth a DAY in jail ended up giving up his LIFE over something this stupid. Or do you believe pot should carry the death penalty? It sure did for this poor youngster.
 @Common Sense You just too lazy to look up the facts about marijuana or what?
To all the D-bags that are claiming that "Michael Saffioti(RIP)" was at fault in someway just goes to show your ignorance. You have obviously never been anywhere close to a situation like this. I was in this very same situation in Maricopa County Jail(and i was there for traffic tickets btw) These guards do not care about you or your Allergies. As a matter of fact there was another case..Google Anthony Contrearaz and Arizona Boys Ranch. Please don't comment if you don't have a clue.
 @Simmone Collins i was at the county jail here in MI, i told them i was a vegetarian and they got me special food.  even gave me a cheese danish from dunkin donuts... j/s.... Â
This is shocking. The police are in a world of their own.
 @JMO These aren't police, jails are run by county sheriff's departments.  That's a world of difference in terms of professionalism. There are good sheriff's departments, but many are staffed by people who wanted to be cops and couldn't make the grade to work for an P.D.Â
 @JMO How is this shocking? Where do you live? Under a rock?
i'm so sorry for his families loss. this should have never happened! i hope the answers are found and there is responsibility taken because no one should have to die while another laughs.
Reminds me of the outcome of Stanford Prison Experiment 1971.
I hope all thoes cops burn in hell for what they have done
@Eric Howard Jails/prisons aren't staffed by cops. At least read the story and get your facts straight before you spurt out blanket condemnations.
 @Eric Howard I think deep down inside you and i know nothing will come of this.
It would be awesome if this young man could haunt those idiots that mocked him as he lay dying. It's ashame that a healthy young man goes from turning himself in of his own free will then end up dying because he did.
Welcome to America. Land of prisons, greed, laws meant to make money for the system and extreme ignorance.
to anybody on here wanting to make the argument of "criminals" being locked up in jail/prison and the reasoning why they've been incarcerated... go ahead and do some research about how much of the united states population is behind bars compared to ANY OTHER COUNTRY!!!!  and yeah, we got china beat by double the incarceration rate, AND THEY HAVE A BIGGER POPULATION!!!!!Â
 @Dallas Jones China has Black Prisons - aka, secret prisons for detaining political dissidents. These aren't sanctioned by the central government and are run by the local governments, in an attempt to prevent the activists from petitioning the central government. I would say the "incarceration" rate (in actuality, detention against one's will) in China is twice as great as ours.
It will be interesting to see what the investigation shows... but I have been aware of situations where even hospitals have ignored their own charts that certain patients are allergic to medications (have had more than one friend administered drugs they were allergic to and almost die)... it is not hard for me to imagine this happening in any institution. Â And these occurred even with my friends constantly reminding staff of their allergies. So....
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One thing that needs to happen is that we need to stop interchanging "allergic" and "sensitive"... because when the two are confused, it reduces the amount of concern people have for people who are dangerously allergic to something. Some allergies only create minor disfunction (say hayfever)... while others kill within minutes.
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Most of the people I know who are dangerously allergic to something know to ask, "Does this have 'x' ingredient/drug in it?"... but if you are given the wrong answer, one can be killed by trusting that the person answering has actually checked or knows. There are many who kind of pooh-pooh the idea of dangerous allergies, equating them all with hayfever type reactions. This is a dangerous ignorance.
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Education on this matter should be intense and ongoing. Â Hopefully, that will be the final outcome here, whether or not other charges/financial awards/guilt/innocence are found in the investigation.
 @theprinterladyÂ
I had a nurse slap me in the face and tell me to stop it right now...when I had a seizure after she game me Diludid which I had TOLD her I was sensitive to and had seizures BEFORE from it....
I am sick of reading everyone condemn the prison guards when the investigation isn't even complete yet! We, as of right now, have one person's side of the story and an investigation is not complete without all sides of the story. I do feel for this mom, and I hope she finds peace after this is all over.
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As for the union as mentioned by at least one poster on here, it is there to protect officers and prison guards from frivilous lawsuits. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is a frivilous situation as a young man has died. But there are a lot of lawsuits that are just plain stupid, brought on by money-hungry people who make up reasons to sue.Â
 @traceywo Unfortunately, people don't always listen with their hearts. Unfortunately, even more so, hitting them in their pockets somehow wake them up, in this case, their employer, too! This young man turned himself in why would he do that and then have the guards even try to say it was a ploy. We are condemning them because they were NEGLIGENT and deserve to be condemned, shame on them. This was not a huge mass murderer we are talking about but a young man who had his whole life before him. A son of a family who loved him dearly! For you to think that this family will be satisfied with law-suit money in place of their son is COLD. Shame on you for sticking up for grown adults who should have known better, but didn't give a damn, to care!Â
 @traceywo Then stop reading and go somewhere else...douche.
 @traceywo The unions are organized against the tyranny of the people paying their salaries.  Without those, they may not get pay raises some years, pensions may be low or non-existent... they'd be as bad off as private sector workers.  The horrors.
 @Kyle Why shouldn't workers be able to organize? Nobody is forcing management to give them raises or pensions. Unions gave us the five day work week, the 8 hour day, sick leave, and yes, pensions. Just as ordinary people organized to fight the American Revolution, unions are organizations of ordinary people coming together to make a better life for themselves and their families.Â
 @traceywoÂ
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If the lawsuits are frivolous they will be dismissed. Someone is dead and all you care about is prison workers, cops and public union employees being immune from any kind of personal responsibility , personal accountability and criminal liability like any other person would be if they caused a homicide.
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These public union employees should be at least 25% liable when these incidents occur and not simply be given "retraining" or disappearing into the hidden world of the prison, school or law enforcement systems where they can linger for years like Josh Powell's father did.
Even if prison workers or cops were found to be 25% Â personally liable in these cases the number of these cases would drop dramatically.. When public union employees cannot be sued individually, cannot be fired and cannot have their records reviewed by the public (who pays them) then you will never stop these criminal abuses from happening.Â
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Giving out money is not good enough if the the perpetrators are kept in power and allowed to retain their jobs. There needs to be personal accountability and individual punishment with these prison and law enforcement workers.  How  can we excuse homicides simply because a public union employee committed it?  We are no better than the insane leaders of tyrannical countries if we tolerate this.
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Will these prison workers have any personnel record to indicate they caused a homicide?
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Someone is dead. The supporters of public unions employees are so sick in the head they only want "retraining" for the ghouls who let this man die instead of asking that criminal charges be filed against those prison workers who let him die.
If you know you're allergic to dairy why chance eating something that could possibly have it? Its a tragedy and I think the gaurds should be held accountable but the victim made a mistake too.
 @boogers They were made aware of his allergies by this young man and his mother who made the same efforts to inform them. This young man, TURNED HIMSELF IN, and by taking responsibility died for it! He consumed the food thinking his jailers would be responsible having been informed and perhaps care about his medical situation. This young man made a mistake only because he trusted (his jailers). I agree they should be held accountable and really wonder how they can sleep at night?
@boogers The article reads in a way that the guards should have been aware since his mother "Rose says she armed the county with Michael's medical needs and was ignored." Perhaps he trusted them wherein they only judged him as a criminal.
 @boogers If he asked if it had dairy in it.. and was told "no"... would that change your mind? Without knowing these kinds of facts, we cannot make a judgement at this point. Most of the people I know who have dangerous allergies make it very well known. This person suffered from anxiety and the like... the people I know like that are very good at checking because they worry a lot. So... we can't assume the victim made the mistake. We can't assume he didn't, either... that's why there's an investigation.
There is nobody dumber than a jail guard. Â Don't go to prison!!
 @HullenbeckCowl  Spoken like someone who has gone to prison.
 @traceywo I'd be more than happy to go to jail if I could make you, traceywo, pay for your unintelligent comments on this topic. The young man did not commit a violent act, yet the violent act committed upon him while in custody of the county is deserving of punishment. There is a certain level of care that comes along with taking someone into custody. If I hold a relative's belongings in my home, I have to exert a minimum level of care that those items will be returned safely. Why would treating people in custody be any different?
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My brother had a seizure and hit a tree. He couldn't talk and the local cops thought he was being "uncooperative." Instead of calling an ambulance, they threw him to the ground, cuffed him, and brought him to the local puny station. He had another seizure in that cell, and they finally transported him by ambulance to the hospital, which should have been done when he hit the tree. Damn cops.
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You take your stance and I'll take mine. Most judges are equally corrupt and ignorant. My then 84 year old mother was put into jail until midnight for telling the judge that my brother needed to get a new lawyer, since the public defender he had did not show up for a hearing on the issue one morning. The bailiffs tazed my brother, who had been living with a Traumatic Brain Injury and was unarmed, and the judge tossed my elderly mother into jail for "Criminal Contempt." for speaking up.
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For speaking. Uttering words. Talking. Expressing a point. what you and I and everyone else is doing here. Jail. So, don't think you can say anything to me, traceywo, to further your position.
 @traceywo "spoken like someone who has gone to prison?"  do you know how easily cops can arrest you and throw you in jail? it happens to innocent people all the time. i'm not sure if i would be using that as a rebuttal. and if he has gone to jail/prison, does that mean he needs to be treated less than human? does that mean the prison guards have a right to neglect any allergy warnings? how about all these people who go to jail for marijuana? non-violent offenders who are being locked up w/ violent offenders. "sounds like someone who has gone to prison" does that make him less than human? fools like you are the reason genocide ends up happening in countries. you automatically assume that the poster is a criminal and the guards are completely w/in their right to do or NOT DO whatever they feel like. hell w/ that train of thought why don't we just take anybody who is found guilty outside the court and shoot them in the head? REGARDLESS of what crime they committed.  arrested for reckless driving? BANG. it is a VERY ACCURATE stereotype that prison guards are dumb as hell. hence why they guarding prisons and not out patrolling the streets. THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. and to end this, ill leave you w/ a link to what prison guards are capable of:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_search_prank_call_scam#Mount_Washington.2C_Kentucky.2C_incident  notice who the prank caller ended up being? Â
 @HullenbeckCowlÂ
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If they are that stupid they should not be put into positions where medications are being given out and medical issues addressed. These prison employees cost WA state and every other state billions every year. The family and supporters of the family should demand that these well paid prison workers face homicide charges and not be so sleazy as to ask for money so the problem can happen to someone else.
 @david davey  @HullenbeckCowl I agreed with you, David, until you mention "not be so sleazy as to ask for money". That was not appropriate. This family will NEVER receive enough money to replace their loved one. Unfortunately, people seem to take things more seriously when they get hit in the pockets...how sad. I hope they win their suit and perhaps use it to help create a legacy for their son, as often, parents do. The word "sleazy" is what I would direct more toward anyone who was directly responsible for doing NOTHING as this young man struggled, in fear, till death. It breaks my heart and I never had the opportunity to know this young man!
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 @david davey  @HullenbeckCowl Only idiots would voluntarily work for the government. Generally, because they're to useless to do anything productive in the real world.
 @david davey  How about waiting for the outcome of the investigation before casting stones? You seem ready to have them fired without a proper investigation has been complete. How would you feel if you were arrested and just thrown in prison without a trial? It amounts to about the same thing.Â
 @traceywoÂ
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 When a homicide occurs you do not  let the accused  be in sensitive positions where they can do more harm. Josh Powell's father was a prison worker and pedophile and flew under the radar for years and was only caught because his son committed a homicide.  Powell's father is more proof there are too many ghouls and freaks in the ranks of the  prison system. Google Ryan Gladstone another public safety workers who committed suicide after smoking drugs with teens and then molesting them. They are all high on power trips and are so unbalanced they will even commit suicide when caught.
The jailers need to be reprimanded. Â They definitely need some training. Â This kid's mom should sue and WIN. Â I would be so angry at the negligence. Â Those morons cost a young man his life.Â
 @magicmarker Absolutely and so sad because he was a good kid that just made a little slip-up. Even though they take some of you're rights away in jail, they should never take away someone's medical rights and needs. I hope she sues and gets millions! They absolutely should not have ignored his requests and totally not cool and disrespectful that they mock him for it. That is truly messed up.
 @keepthepeace28  @magicmarker I don't even feel this kid did anything wrong. He was self-medicating with marijuana. I see nothing wrong with this. The government and corporations would prefer he be pumped full of "legal" pills rather than just smoke a natural herb.
 @keepthepeace28  @magicmarkerÂ
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She should not get any money if she is not willing to openly state she wants these public union prison employees to face homicide charges. Giving her money only stops the problem from being fixed. This has gone on too long and needs to be fixed. Public union employees are so crass and power hungry they do not care if someone dies.
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Who makes the food in these places prisoners or prison workers?