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MA: Patient?s death at Bridgewater is ruled homicide

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Patient?s death after scuffle is ruled homicide By Jonathan Saltzman and Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff | March 10, 2010 The death of a psychiatric patient who scuffled with correction officers at Bridgewater State Hospital in May has been ruled a homicide, according to a death certificate that found 23-year-old Joshua Messier had suffered ?blunt impact of head and compression of chest?? while being restrained by guards. The homicide ruling, by the state medical examiner?s office, differs from the description offered by prison officials last spring. Spokeswoman Diane Wiffin said then, ?There is no indication that there was any excessive force at this time.?? Hospital records obtained by the Globe yesterday show that Messier was brought to the emergency room of Brockton Hospital May 4 in cardiac arrest, with a bruise on his forehead and cheek; dried blood on his nostrils and in his hair; ligature marks or indentations on his neck, wrists, and ankles; and a scrape on his eyebrows...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on March 11, 2010 (boomark / email).