Man rushing for medical help arrested and jailed

By: Mike Deeson

Tampa, Florida - "It's awful that he was treated like that, it's inhumane if you ask me."

That's how Randy Brannon describes what happened to his father as he was trying to drive to a walk-in doctor's clinic on Monday to be treated for pneumonia.

Mark Brannon, whose family says he blacked out as he was driving, allegedly told the deputy he was sick and in need of medical help. But instead of getting medical assistance, Brannon -- who does take pain medication -- was arrested for DUI.

Randy Brannon says his father "blew a zero on the breathalyzer, but they wouldn't release him until 2:00 a.m."

Although there is a medical unit in Central booking, Brannon's family says Mark didn't receive medical attention until he was released. He then went straight to a doctor.

"He could hardly walk. He was gasping for air," Randy explains.

The doctor immediately sent the man to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he is now a patient. This all comes on the heels of an Independent Review Commission looking into charges of abuse at the Orient Road Jail and Central Booking.

Attorney John Trevena, who has several clients claiming abuse, is a vocal critic of the Hillsborough Jail system. He says, "It sounds like probably the most egregious case yet.

"From the arresting deputy to booking... every step of the process failed this gentleman," Trevena states.

While 10 News couldn't take a camera into the hospital, I did see Mark Brannon in the emergency room. He could hardly talk and had difficulty breathing, even with oxygen. But his sons say he's improved drastically since earlier Tuesday.

"He's doing a lot better now," Randy Brannon says. "He was a lot worse when I first arrived."

While Mark Brannon's family wants to know why Central Booking and the Orient Road Jail staff didn't give their father medical attention, their main concern now is making sure that the delay in getting to hospital won't have any long term affect on his health.