Family of Anna Brown Files Suit Against St. Mary's

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges the Richmond Heights medical center failed to diagnose a life-threatening condition.

The family of Anna Brown, the homeless woman who died in a Richmond Heights jail in 2011, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against St. Mary's Health Center. The suit alleges that the hospital failed to diagnose a life-threatening condition before releasing the 29-year-old to police. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Saint Louis University Hospital and several physicians were also named in the suit. Brown died on Sept. 21, 2011. Blood clots that moved from her legs to her lungs were cited as the cause.  Before her death, Brown refused to leave St. Mary's and demanded more treatment for the pain in her legs. Doctors deemed her fit for police confinement and staff asked police to remove her from the premises. The suit was filedi in …

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POLL: Should Homelessness Get Special Attention from Richmond Heights?

Last week, several people suggested the city might host a St. Louis County homeless shelter or encourage churches to open their doors. Vote in our poll to tell us how you feel about the issue.

Should Richmond Heights be the home of a St. Louis County homeless shelter? That's what a number of people suggested May 7 at City Hall during a meeting of City Council. The Rev. Larry Rice of St. Louis city-based New Life Evangelistic Center said the city could also take leadership by making zoning provisions that would encourage Richmond Heights churches to open their doors to the homeless. His comments and those of the others came in light of the Anna Brown case. The homeless woman died last year in a Richmond Heights jail cell because of medical complications, an incident that sparked outrage after it was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I believe that Richmond Heights could become the champions, the leaders," said Rice…

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Anna Brown Case Under NAACP Review

The organization will investigate whether bias played a role in her Richmond Heights death, KMOV Channel 4 reported.

The death of Anna Brown in a Richmond Heights jail cell has attracted the attention of the NAACP, KMOV Channel 4 reported this week. Quoting from the KMOV article: "Investigators are looking for red flags that may point to bias or hate crimes that may have contributed to Brown's death." Read comments from an NAACP official and find out how the group will work with SSM St. Mary's Health Center and the Richmond Heights Police Department in the complete KMOV article. More about Anna Brown on Patch:

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Anna Brown March Held on Good Friday in Clayton

The Rev. Larry Rice of St. Louis city-based New Life Evangelistic Center led the group, which planned to walk to SSM St. Mary's Health Center in Richmond Heights.

A march aimed at drawing attention to St. Louis County social services and the death of Anna Brown happened Friday in downtown Clayton. "The buffalo got a place," said the Rev. Larry Rice, in reference to the county's decision to keep Lone Elk Park open. "Where do the homeless go?" Anna Brown experienced homelessness, expressed concerns about her medical condition and later died in a Richmond Heights jail cell, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported. Both the city and SSM St. Mary's Health Center, where she received medical attention, have said they followed proper protocol. (Like Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch on Facebook) On Friday, Rice said the county should use its leadership role to encourage churches to keep their doors open to …

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Anna Brown Family's Attorneys Have Contacted City, Mayor Says

Mayor James Beck read a statement Monday about her death in a Richmond Heights jail cell.

Attorneys for the family of Anna Brown have contacted Richmond Heights, Mayor James Beck announced Monday during a City Council meeting. He read a statement expressing the city's condolences for her death in September. It said that police followed protocol and that a review of policy shows police complied with state and federal laws. "The city of Richmond Heights wishes to express its sadness about the unfortunate death of Ms. Anna Brown last September," he said. St. Louis County's prosecutor is reviewing the details of the case, and the city will fully cooperate, he said. He said the city cannot comment further on the case because of the contact from attorneys for the Brown family. The following is the full statement released by the city…

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Anna Brown Petition Creator Jonathan Dedering Speaks Out

The Wisconsin resident said learning of the woman's death in Richmond Heights made him want to tell her story. He also wants to press Congress to provide Americans with greater access to health care.

Anna Brown Petition Creator Jonathan Dedering Speaks Out

The Wisconsin resident said learning of the woman's death in Richmond Heights made him want to tell her story. He also wants to press Congress to provide Americans with greater access to health care.

After learning about Anna Brown's death last year in a Richmond Heights jail cell, Jonathan Dedering of Madison, WI, decided to launch a petition for increased health care access. In an email interview this week, Dedering talked about his reaction to the case, his own experiences with the health care system and his other political activism. (Like Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch on Facebook.) He said he is working through a glitch that took 12,000 names off of the more than 25,000 signatures he has collected on Change.org. A Change.org representative acknowledged the problem in an email to him and said the website is working to identify a solution. How did you first learn about the death of Anna Brown? How did you react? I had been …

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