Jailed Native American woman died after police told her to 'quit faking' pain symptoms

Earlier this month, 24-year-old Sarah Lee Circle Bear was found unconscious in a jail cell in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where she was being held for a bond violation. She died in her cell soon after the incident, and her family is reportedly considering legal recourse.

Witnesses allege that Circle Bear, a mother of an infant and a toddler, was being transferred to a holding cell when she began crying out in pain, asking for medical attention. The jail staff reportedly told her to "quit faking" and "knock it off" before dragging her body into the cell where she would later be found unresponsive.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Native Americans are disproportionately the victims of police killings, while a 2015 report from the Lakota People's Law Project details other justice system disparities Native Americans suffer.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up