The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts is part of a civil rights lawsuit filed against the Springfield Police Department and Hampden County Sheriff's Department over a woman's wrongful death.
Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir, who was from Burlington, Vermont, was arrested by Springfield police and died a week later in the custody of the sheriff's department in 2018.
The ACLU says Linsenmeir's death was caused by the agencies' failure to provide medical treatment.
The suit says just because you are arrested doesn't mean that you forfeit your constitutional right to care.
The ACLU says her story attracted international attention after her obituary candidly described her struggle with opioid addiction.
The Police Department has not commented.