Walker County, AL — In July of 2021, Karen Kelly was named Corrections Officer of the Month by the Walker County Sheriff's Office.

A Facebook post by the sheriff's office captioned the photo:

Congratulations to our newest Corrections Officer of the Month! Karen Kelly is one of the newest members of our team, but is making huge strides in her success as a hardworking, professional, and focused officer. We are proud of Officer Kelly, and thankful that she’s a part of our team!

But when Kelly leaked cellphone video of inmate Anthony Mitchell being carried out of the jail to be taken to the hospital, she was fired.

That video has been at the center of the controversial incident which has led to community comments and questioning about Mitchell's condition and how law enforcement handled the incident.

Mitchell was pronounced dead several hours later at Walker Baptist Medical Center. An ER physician noted his body temperature was 72 degrees. Medical notes said hypothermia was suspected. Mitchell's mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Kelly has also filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging she was retaliated against. She had recently been promoted to Acting Supervisor at the jail.

In court filings, Kelly said she was concerned when she learned Mitchell had died and at the urging of a lieutenant was told to search jail video to see what happened. She said she discovered video depicting Mitchell in an 'obvious state of unconsciousness near death.' Kelly recorded the...

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