Dozens of people gathered in the parking lot of the Bradley County Jail Sunday night to honor the life of Joseph Dewhurst, who died last week in police custody.
The crowd, many of whom were wearing black "Justice for Joe" T-shirts, lit 36 candles and released 36 balloons to symbolize Dewhurst's age. While a rainbow formed on one side of the sky and an evening storm scattered lightning on the other, friends and family described Dewhurst as loving and kind.
Michele Rogers, Dewhurst's older sister, said her brother was someone who brought joy into the world.
"He was full of light and life and love," she said. "And everyone who knew him would know that."
Candy Brown, a close family friend, said Dewhurst loved God and was always willing to help others. Dewhurst had six children.
"He loved life," Brown said. "He loved his children. He loved his family. He always treated me with the utmost respect. He didn't deserve this."
Mike Dewhurst echoed the memories shared by others that his brother was a loving person who cared about others. He was the kind of person who would take the shirt off his back to help someone, Mike Dewhurst said.
"Didn't matter what he was doing, he was there for you," he said.
Dewhurst was arrested in 2019 and pleaded guilty to one count of drug distribution as part of a case involving eight people in Bradley County. He was being held at the jail while awaiting sentencing.
In mid-June, he tested positive for COVID-19, one of dozens of inmates and jail staff to test positive last month. His lawyers sought his release on bond from the jail because of his sickness and allegations of receiving inadequate medical care in the jail. The Bradley County Sheriff's Office said last week all inmates had recovered from the virus. On July 22, Dewhurst was found unresponsive in his cell. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death.
Rogers and other family members believe Dewhurst did not receive proper care. Rogers said when she talked to her brother on the phone she could hear the fluid in his lungs and he said he had symptoms of the coronavirus.
"It goes to show that people here are not getting the care they need," Rogers said.
The sheriff's office has denied accusations of neglect or dangerous practices at the jail.
"Such claims of unsanitary conditions and threats of COVID-19 from inmates are false," spokesperson Taylor Woodruff said in a statement last week. "Cleaning guidelines and resources that are available to our inmates have remained the same since the beginning of this pandemic. The well being and safety of our inmates are of the utmost importance and are why our many 'extra mile' provisions have been made."
Bradley County Incarcerated Resolutions hosted the vigil. The group, which is in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization and starting a bail fund, has protested outside the jail for weeks. Its work has been featured on local, national and international media.
They will continue pushing for change for as long as it takes, said Tiffani Dailey, one of the organizers.
"The system has failed another," she said of Dewhurst. "And moving forward we're going to make sure justice is served for their family and every family."
Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @news4mass.