PALM COAST, Fla. — After the "tragic" death of a Flagler County inmate, the sheriff is firing its medical services provider and making changes at the jail.

  • Inmate Anthony Fennick, 23, fell ill and died earlier this month
  • Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly said he accepts responsibility for death
  • Staly fires jail medical provider, institutes changes at jail

Several investigations are underway in the death of 23-year-old Anthony Fennick, who was transported from the jail to a hospital February 4.

Fennick's actual cause of death won't be determined by the Medical Examiner for another two or three months, Sheriff Rick Staly said during a news conference Friday.

"As sheriff, I accept full responsibility" for Fennick's death, Staly said. "... Anthony Fennick was a son, brother, and a father. He was well behaved in our custody and he was trying to make positive changes in his life despite past struggles and mistakes."

Staly said the Sheriff's Office is terminating the contract of Armor Correctional Health Care Service, the company contracted a year ago to provide 24-hour health care at the Flagler County Inmate Detention Facility.

But "in response to this tragedy, Armor has shown little interest in anything other than denying responsibility and trying to bill us for more money," Staly said.

Armor said Staly hadn't expressed any dissatisfaction with its service until Friday. It said the company provides extra staffing to the jail on top of what the county pays for in order to provide good care to the jail.

It said it looked into the incident itself and is awaiting the autopsy results before assigning responsibility.

"Every death is an unfortunate situation," Armor COO Kenneth Palombo said.

The Sheriff's Office is instituting changes at the jail that it hopes will prevent another death. It will:

  • Ensure all jail supervisors and administrators will be immediately notified of an inmate medical concern;
  • Offer inmates a release form during the booking process to allow medical information to be shared with authorized family and friends;
  • Post signage to encourage people to report medical concerns;
  • Add a medical page on the jail website that has contact information for the medical department and other related officials;
  • Add a phone hotline for inmate medical concerns;
  • Remove the co-pay for jail follow-up care, mental health services, inmate or staff referral;
  • Immediately contact a family member if an inmate is transported to a hospital for an emergency.

Fennick was serving time for a felony probation violation on drug and burglary charges.

"To the Fennick family, I am very sorry. I can't bring Anthony back but I can work to prevent another family from ever experiencing the loss of a loved one in our custody," Staly said.

Anthony Fennick (Flagler County Jail)
Anthony Fennick (Flagler County Jail)