A nurse from Minnesota has spoken out for the first time, recounting the traumatic events she witnessed leading to the death of a paralyzed Black man who was incarcerated in 2018.   

Almost three years later, Stephanie Lundblad, an experienced nurse who practiced at Beltrami County jail, shared her side of the story, saying Hardel Sherrell died from improper medical care, KARE 11 reported. She said his death could have been avoided. 

“I want justice for Hardel. I want what happened to Hardel to never ever happen to anyone again,” Lundblad said. “I want accountability.”

In the interview for KARE 11’s Cruel and Unusual investigation, she stated that animals in kennels are treated better than Sherrell was. She said he looked like a man who was dying. 

“It felt like I had witnessed a murder,” Lundblad said. “He couldn’t even stand up. He could barely talk. He could still cry.”  

According to Lundblad, she requested that Sherrell be transferred to a hospital after showing signs of deterioration in health, but said he later died in his cell as staff ignored his pleas for help, MPR News reported. 

Heartbroken by this, she sent letters to the Department of Corrections, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and the state Board of Nursing, detailing the events. Soon after, the FBI launched a criminal investigation into the neglect of Sherrell’s death. The incident also sparked statewide reforms. 

After his death, Sherrell’s mother, Del Shea Perry, filed a federal lawsuit against the jail, MEND Correctional Care, a company that oversaw medical issues inside the jail and Sanford Hospital.

According to the lawsuit, Sherrell was transferred to Beltrami from another jail on Aug. 24, 2018. Over the course of six days, his health began to steadily decline. During that time, he was repeatedly denied medical care from staff and corrections officers before his death.

Sherrell, who was a father of three, would often complain of chest pains and eventually told guards he couldn’t feel anything from his waist down. According to Inter Reviewed, Sherrell’s blood pressure and heart rate were high and the oxygen level in his blood was too low. One side of his mouth had also been drooping.

In the interview with KARE 11, Lundblad said one day she was asked to check in on Sherrell after staff claimed he was pretending to be incontinent while faking paralysis. But upon walking into his cell, she said the overwhelming stench of sweat and presence of urine, which had leaked through his clothes, made her believe otherwise. 

“He was suffering,” Lundblad said.   

The 27-year-old was taken to Sanford, the nearby hospital, per her request but was discharged for weakness and fatigue. The guards reportedly told the doctor Sherrell was faking his symptoms. He was sent back to his jail cell and died the next afternoon. Video and surveillance footage showed Sherrell in his cell lying in his own waste.   

Lundblad said she didn’t learn what happened until two days later. In her complaint, she cited that Dr. Leonard, who was head of MEND, also ignored the signs Sherrell showed prior to dying.  

“My son did not deserve what happened to him, and that is why this bill has to be passed,” Perry said at a legislative hearing for bill reform.   

The three parties named in the lawsuit have since denied any wrongdoing.