Earlier this year rolling out investigated and covered the story of Rev. Vizion Jones, a community activist and U.S. Air Force veteran who was assaulted by emergency room staff at Atlanta’s Grady Hospital. Rev. Jones was so sick he was unable to move and in great distress. Grady Hospital security did not believe him and according to Jones, assaulted him in the emergency room waiting area. Jones was cited for “Breach of Peace — pretending as if he is sick and can’t walk.” He suffered in the Grady Hospital jail until he was transported and eventually released from the City of Atlanta Jail the next day. Jones was later admitted to the Atlanta Veteran’s Hospital with the same symptoms which had worsened because of the beating. Ultimately he was among the first diagnosed victims of the H1N1 virus or “Swine Flu” of 2014.
Now almost six months later Jones is still facing charges from his encounter with the health care system at Grady Hospital. The encounter has left him financially burdened and interrupted his education at Morehouse College as a graduating senior. He is being represented by the Davis Bozeman law firm which indicated its displeasure with the requested materials not sent in a timely and accurate manner from Grady Hospital. The subpoenaed video footage of the night is incomplete and formatted in such a way that it caused most computers to crash when attempting to view the video.
When asked if race played a part in Jones’ treatment at Grady Hospital, which serves an overwhelmingly black and poor population; Attorney Mawuli “Mel” Davis stated that as an activist attorney, he recognizes that “race and class always play a part in how people are protected or handled, and Rev. Jones’ case follows this same pattern.”
Jones has now turned to social media and currently has an online petition at change.org to the Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed. The petition is entitled “Grady Hospital STOP the malicious prosecution of a United States Veteran suffering with a life-threatening illness” and after two days is growing.
Jones’ next court date is in July and he is still suffering with injuries he attributes to his beating at Grady Hospital. A request for response was sent by rolling out to Ms. Denise Simpson of the media relations department who forwarded the request to someone in the hospital administration.
