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Ron Durban walked out of the David L. Moss Correctional Facility clutching nitroglycerin pills, his face pale and strained after nearly suffering a medical emergency behind bars. The attorney had been ordered released by a judge hours earlier, but jail staff refused to process his freedom while simultaneously denying him the heart medication that prevents the chest pains now wracking his body. What happened next reveals a system that appears designed to punish even when the courts say stop.
The Judge's Order That Jail Staff Ignored
Judge Sers at Tulsa County Courthouse had made the ruling clear: Ron Durban was guilty of contempt of court, but his eight hours in custody constituted time served. He was to be released immediately. That was hours ago, but when supporters arrived at the jail to pick him up, they found Durban still locked in a cell, now wearing a different jumpsuit with stripes instead of his original orange uniform.
The detention staff had a ready excuse: processing releases takes anywhere from two to twelve hours, they claimed. Ten people were ahead of Durban in the queue, and there was simply nothing they could do to expedite the process. But this explanation raised an obvious question: what kind of "processing" requires half a day to complete paperwork for someone a judge has already ordered freed?
The Medicine They Wouldn't Provide
Far more troubling than the delayed release was the jail's handling of Durban's medical needs. The attorney requires daily heart medication following a massive heart attack four years ago that nearly killed him. His supporters had attempted to deliver his prescriptions to the jail, but staff refused to accept them, citing policy. Instead, they would need to verify everything through the jail's pharmacy system, a process that could take up to eight hours.
Durban had been without his heart medication for the entire duration of his incarceration. The irony was stark: the jail's own pharmacy had all his medications on file, but staff claimed they needed additional time to determine proper dosing. Meanwhile, the clock ticked toward what would soon become a medical crisis.
"That's Not My Problem"
The situation reached a breaking point when Durban called from his cell, his voice strained as he reported severe chest pains to supporters waiting outside. When they immediately alerted the front desk officer about the medical emergency, her response was as shocking as it was callous: "That's not my problem."
The exchange, captured on livestream, revealed the casual indifference with which jail staff treated a potentially life-threatening situation. Supporters pressed for a supervisor, demanded medical attention, and explained Durban's history of heart problems. The response remained the same: bureaucratic deflection and a steadfast refusal to treat the emergency as urgent.
The Call That Changed Everything
With jail staff unwilling to provide medical assistance, supporters took matters into their own hands and called 911. The emergency dispatcher immediately recognized the severity of the situation and promised to send help to check on Durban. Only then did jail staff begin to acknowledge they might have a serious problem on their hands.
The ambulance response seemed to trigger something in the jail's administrative machinery. Suddenly, staff members who had been claiming twelve-hour processing delays were able to locate Durban and begin his release. But by then, the chest pains had intensified, and what should have been a routine jail exit had become a potential cardiac emergency.
The Release That Nearly Came Too Late
When Durban finally emerged from the facility, he was visibly distressed and immediately reached for his nitroglycerin medication. The pills that could have prevented his suffering had been sitting in his supporter's possession the entire time, refused by the same jail staff who then claimed his medical emergency wasn't their responsibility.
The livestream captured the moment staff suddenly called for medical assistance, but only after Durban was already free and taking his own medication. The timing raised obvious questions about whether this was genuine concern or merely an attempt to cover their tracks after hours of documented negligence.
What happens when a jail systematically ignores a judge's release order while denying critical medication to someone with a documented heart condition? The full video reveals the complete timeline of institutional failures that turned a routine release into a near medical emergency.
Watch the complete footage to see how this dangerous situation unfolded and why jail reform advocates are calling this incident a textbook example of institutional cruelty disguised as bureaucratic procedure.
