A mother whose baby died after she gave birth in a Milwaukee County Jail cell in July has filed a claim notice against the sheriff's office, saying jail staffers are responsible for her newborn's death.
Reports say that 30-year-old Shadé Swayzer,'s lawyer, Jason Jankowski, wrote that Swayzer told a corrections officer she was going into labor around midnight, but that the officer laughed and ignored her.
Swayzer says she gave birth around 4 a.m. and received attention from officers at 6 a.m. Her child was pronounced dead at an unknown time later that day.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says Swayzer never told jail staff she was going into labor. The company responsible for medical care at the jail has said Swayzer's child was stillborn.
The notice of claim, which generally gives agencies a chance to respond to allegations before a lawsuit is filed, says Swayzer is seeking $8.5 million in damages.
