A Tennessee man with no teeth died after choking on chicken served at a county jail despite a required soft diet, according to a lawsuit filed by his grandmother. Joseph Denton, 37, was allegedly ignored by staff as other inmates pleaded for help.
Joseph Denton died on May 31, 2025, at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro from complications of choking. The complaint says Denton had requested a soft diet since his incarceration in August 2022 because he had all his teeth removed and suffered from an orthopedic condition that required a wheelchair. Jail staff served him a regular meal including chicken that day. Denton began choking in his cell while other inmates called for assistance. The lawsuit claims multiple guards and medical staff observed the emergency but failed to act promptly. Medical personnel arrived after Denton became unresponsive and went into cardiac arrest. CPR was administered, but he never regained consciousness. The suit names Rutherford County and jail staff as defendants. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office has not commented on the allegations. The Tennessee Corrections Institute stated that jails must provide adequate medical care, including soft foods when deemed necessary.