Jail Staff Allegedly Failed Jaqaris Jemison | Virginia Beach News

A grieving mother sues the Newport News City Jail for $20 million after her 21-year-old son, Jaqaris Jemison, died by suicide — allegedly due to staff negligence. Arrested in April 2025 with acute psychosis and suicidal ideation, he was removed from suicide watch just eight days later and never received psychiatric meds. On the night of his death, inmates alerted authorities; it took nearly an hour for a deputy to find him hanging. The deputy was fired and decertified, though his lawyer insists he responded promptly — a claim contradicted by surveillance footage. This tragic case exposes systemic failures in jail mental health care as legal proceedings move forward with a trial set for August 21. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/22993414d1ff871a