Man jailed for months over $5 theft found dead in cell

This is a disgrace and a horrible tragedy - the Town, County and State need to evaluate and change their detention procedures! A simple petty theft and denied bail?? Are you kidding? If he had mental issues and refused to take his meds/food, he should have been remanded to a mental hospital somewhere within the Town, County or State where there WAS room for him!! No excuses, Virginia, you failed him!

Why did his family allow him to run around by himself committing petty crimes?

If he was denied bail there is a hell of a lot more to the story!!!

Pants up
Don't loot

Do any of you believe that this was his first crime?
What was the reason for no bail?
The Devil is in the details.

he broke the law. this story doesn't tell you everything he has lengthy rap sheet, he has been a criminal all his life. people wake up. the media will only tell you what they want you to know, if he has mental problems the family should help him before he kills someone. there are resources out there for mental health, contact your county health dept. quit blaming everyone else for your problems.

I realize that this is a very serious situation. A life was lost. The entire misfortune could have been avoided if people just stopped committing crimes. Stop being criminals. I don't care how trivial the crime seems but it's still a crime. People have to be responsible for themselves and stop looking for excuses or other people to blame. It's very, very sad but that's what it boils down to. Many times there isn't enough family involvement. The close knit family has really deteriorated in the U.S. and that's unfortunate for obvious reasons.
The main issue goes back to people committing crimes. If you didn't break the law, you wouldn't be in jail and you wouldn't be in these type of situations. I hope younger people are learning from these incidents. Everyone needs to STOP committing crimes and breaking the law. Good luck and God bless.

oh well you steal then go to jail--dont take your medication and dont eat --well then you die---of course the N.A.A.CP racist scum will make this seem like its something its not.

In a perfect world we would separate the mentally ill who pose any danger or threat to the average citizen from society until cured or keep them among their own long term. at birth it is a roll of the dice that one is born mentally normal and will have socially acceptable behavior....if not then they are genetically abnormal and a threat on the streets. But we allow these people to walk the streets and participate in society as if everything is okay with them. I'm sure many of us here have often crossed paths with such people while out and about and wonder how safe you are around them

He's where he deserves to be! How many thefts did he do before being caught?!!!!!!!!!!!

His family says he didn't receive the help that he needed. Then why didn't they help him instead of allowing him to run around breaking the law?

Oh boy here we go again with the condemnation of whitey from the WH, Sharpton, Jackson. Get the riot gear ready and the fire trucks.

Hahahaha....I guess he shouldn't have been stealing !

poor guy he was such a good kid too.............oh wait.

The problem here is being denied bail for stealing only $5 worth of goods and then found to have mental issues.
If medical documents support Mitchell's problem, the City of Hampton Roads has a big legal problem on their hands.

Cops playing God and jail officials do they same!

Virginia, what else do you have to know

Oh!!! Al and the gang will run on this. I guess there is a God. Another one gone to jungle "heaven". Thank you!

This goes beyond stupidity...how does anyone get held in jail for months for a minor infraction?

Are we in the middle ages that we throw someone in jail for stealing a $5 Knickers Bar? And now he is dead! This is unbelievable. What is this country coming too?

It's a terribly hard world, made even harder by the scornful contemptuousness of bureaucrats. RIP son. I'm sorry it had to end this way, but then perhaps it is better.

I hope his family sues their arrogant butts for enough to justify his dying.