Man Who Sued Over Alleged ‘Baby Shark’ Torture Found Dead in Jail Cell

“Baby Shark,” the viral youngsters tune, actually is annoying. It is so annoying actually that it was allegedly used to torture detainees within the Oklahoma County Detention Center. However, one of many inmates that introduced these allegations to gentle, John Basco, was discovered unresponsive in his jail cell earlier this week.

In 2016, the tune “Baby Shark” went viral on the Internet as its accompanying music video was uploaded to YouTube by Pinkfong, a South Korean leisure firm. The tune is extremely common amongst youngsters—a lot in order that the music video grew to become the preferred video on YouTube, having racked up over 11 billion views as of September 2022. But mother and father all over the place know the reality that this tune is annoying as hell, and in 2021, the Washington Post reported that a number of folks incarcerated in an Oklahoma City jail alleged that the tune was used to torture different inmates. One of the lads main the next lawsuit, John Basco, was discovered unresponsive in his cell earlier this week, three days after being booked into the detention heart.

“At approximately 3:52 Sunday morning, a detention officer performing site checks discovered detainee John Basco unresponsive in his cell,” the jail’s press release reads. “The detention officer called for medical and other officers to respond, and they immediately began life saving efforts. Emergency responders arrived and continued resuscitation efforts. Basco was pronounced deceased at approximately 4:06 a.m.”

Investigators are wanting into what precipitated Basco’s dying and this most up-to-date stint behind bars is separate from the time he was serving whereas allegedly being compelled to take heed to “Baby Shark.” “The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations is assisting in the investigation, but we can confirm there were no obvious signs of foul play,” stated Mark Opgrande in a press launch emailed to Gizmodo. Opgrande is the Director of Communications for the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

In their reporting, the Washington Post describes the circumstances specified by a federal lawsuit concerning the accusations. The lawsuit was filed by Basco, Joseph Mitchell, and Daniel Hedrick, who have been all awaiting trial on the time of the alleged torture. The go well with says that inmates have been handcuffed and secured to a wall, compelled to face for hours because the tune blasted at a excessive quantity. “The volume of the song was so loud that it was reverberating down the hallways,” the lawsuit says, as quoted by the Post.

“Additionally, we would like to note Mr. Basco’s lawsuit was against the previous jail administration, not against the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority or the current leadership,” Opgrande said additional. “We remain committed to providing the safest environment possible for detainees and staff.”

At least 4 inmates have been topic to the Baby Shark torture below the previous jail administration, and in October 2020 detention officers Gregory Cornell Butler Jr. and Christian Charles Miles and their supervisor Christopher Raymond have been charged with misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a prisoner and conspiracy, in line with the Oklahoman.