OAKLAND, California – The outgoing Alameda County District Attorney charged nine sheriff’s deputies and two healthcare workers Tuesday in the death of an Oakland man who languished in his Santa Rita Jail cell for days before anyone realized he was no longer alive.

Court records show all the deputies and medical staff were charged with adult abuse and neglect, and three of the 11 were also charged with forging documents, a felony.

Deputies Donall Chauncy Rowe, Thomas Mowrer, Ross Burruel, Robinderpal Singh Hayer, Andre Gaston, Troy Hershel White, Syear Osmani, Mateusz Laszuk and Christopher Haendel, as well as Wellpath nurse David Everett Donoho and Alameda County Forensic Behavioral Health Dr. Neal Edwards was also there. He is accused of abuse and neglect of dependent adults.

Hayer, White and Osmani were also accused of falsifying documents.

The charges stem from the death of Maurice Monk on November 15, 2021.

KTVU first reported Monk’s condition The death after exclusive body camera video was obtained at the jail showing no one physically controlling the 45-year-old man, who was seen lying half-naked on his bunk bed for at least three, possibly four, days.

And when deputies finally found Monk’s body, trays of uneaten food and piles of pills were strewn across the floor next to a rectangular puddle of urine at the foot of his bed.

Last year, Monk’s daughter and son win $7 million – an unprecedented amount from the sheriff’s office.

In an email late Tuesday, Sgt. Roberto Morales said seven of the nine deputies were still active sworn personnel and were immediately placed on paid administrative leave. The other two no longer work there.

“Today is undeniably a difficult day and brings with it a range of emotions and concerns,” Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez said in a statement. he said. “Any loss of life, especially within the walls of Santa Rita Prison, is a tragedy we do not take lightly.”

Over the weekend, Sanchez said in an email to KTVU that he was “deeply disappointed in District Attorney Price’s decision to pursue charges because I do not believe they are warranted. I will continue to support our staff through this difficult process.”

Wellpath, the company that provides medical care to the prison, chose not to comment.

Monk’s sister, Elvira Monk of Oakland, was pleased to hear the news.

He said his brother’s death was never about money.

“As long as they were charged and had to fight to keep their jobs, that was all I wanted,” he said.

Monk’s other sister, Tiffany, shared similar sentiments.

“This is about one person’s life being taken away. My niece and nephew no longer have their father,” said Tiffany Monk. “He had a grandchild he’ll never meet. It’s because someone didn’t do their job right. And yet (the officers) are still working, still getting checks. Why?”

Ty Clarke, who co-represented the Monk family in the civil case, said he was happy to see criminal charges filed.

However, he stressed that he wanted “this case to be fully prosecuted so that the terrible things that happened to Mr. Monk can be brought to light.”

The timing of the charges comes three days before the statute of limitations expires, as the third anniversary of Monk’s death is Friday.

The timing of the charges comes a week later Price was removed from his position as part of a historic effort to recall him.

It is unknown at this stage whether his successor will continue the case.

Price campaigned on a progressive platform to not over-blame Black and brown youth and men and to hold police accountable for their actions.

This isn’t the first time he’s taken on law enforcement in his short time in office.

Price most recently charged three Alameda police officers with involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of Mario Gonzalez.

But prosecutors missed the deadline and last month, Two of the officers’ cases were dismissed; A third officer still faces charges.

It’s been a long journey for Monk’s family, who say he should never have gone to prison.

Occasional security guard and former Castlemont High School and Sac State football player He was jailed in October 2021 after getting into a verbal altercation with an AC Transit bus driver for not wearing his mask several months ago during the pandemic. Monk suffers from schizoaffective disorder.

Elvira Monk had repeatedly tried to bring her brother his medications but was rejected due to bureaucratic red tape.

When deputies finally opened the door to Monk’s cell and entered, they discovered he had been left motionless in his bunk for so long that the red “Alameda County” wording on the front of his jail-issued T-shirt had stained his chest. It was mixed with fluids leaking from his body, according to an internal sheriff’s report.

After a month of incarceration at Santa Rita Prison, Monk was officially declared dead of hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

But accounts from deputies and a review of more than 150 body camera videos obtained through a civil lawsuit reveal that Monk was likely dead or dying just days before that.

Clarke, civil rights attorney Adante Pointer and staff at Lawyers for the People reviewed months of body camera video to piece together what happened.

Their efforts showed that deputies and medical staff were seen dropping food and pills through the slats of Monk’s cell door, but did not enter the room to physically see why Monk was not eating or drinking.

Although the coroner ruled he died of natural causes, Monk’s case highlights what many advocates have been saying for years: People incarcerated at the Santa Rita Jail are not receiving necessary medical care.

As part of the civil lawsuit, the sheriff promised to make changes at the Santa Rita Jail, including requiring more meaningful welfare checks and issuing deputies with electronic key cards to reduce fraudulent booking checks.

KTVU reporter Jana Katsuyama contributed to this report.

Lisa Fernandez is a KTVU reporter. Email Lisa at [email protected] or call her at 510-874-0139. Or follow him on Twitter @ljfernandez