Mother Demands Justice After Son Dies After Turning Himself Into Ottawa County Jail

A Green Country woman said she's waited too long for answers and for justice.

Her son died seven years ago, 12 days after turning himself in to the Ottawa County Jail.

Video released in 2020 showed Terral Ellis begging for help from the jail staff and being ignored.

Terral Ellis' family filed a lawsuit two years ago, but they are frustrated nobody has been charged in connection with his death.

Video from October 2015 shows Terral Ellis complaining of pain and begging jail staff for help.

Ellis had turned himself into the Ottawa County Jail on an outstanding warrant for DUI and 12 days later, he was dead at age 26, from septic shock.

Autopsy reports showed he died from pneumonia and sepsis.

"Your legs are fine! They are not black," a jailer said to Ellis.

Surveillance videos were released in 2020 and the family filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office and others. But they still say no criminal charges have been filed against the people shown in the video.

“It’s terrible, this guy wants to get help and all he gets is a nightmare," said sister Racheal Ellis.

A few people made signs and protested outside the sheriff’s office Friday, asking for justice for all inmates they said are being mistreated.

“I think of Terral every day," said mother Shelly Bliss. "I don't think about the bad things, I think about the good things.”

Terral’s mom said he was a loving family man who was getting his life together to provide for his son– who is now 11.

She said she misses him every day.

“We do need justice, and I feel like he’s up there waiting for justice," Bliss said

Current Sheriff Dean Davis wasn’t in office in 2015 but said he’s named in the lawsuit.

He said the jail has made changes and uses a medical company for their inmates now.

"When they’re sick, they need to be taken care of," Racheal said.

Family attorney Dan Smollen said the civil rights lawsuit has been transferred to a New York judge who is actively working on the case due to a backlog in Oklahoma cases.

No federal or state criminal charges have been filed.