home

Guards Laugh as Inmate Dies: Colorado to Pay $3 Million

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Thu Dec 18, 2014 at 10:27:35 PM EST
Tags: inmate civil rights (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Colorado has agreed to a $3 million settlement to the family of a mentally ill inmate who died while having seizures as guards stood around laughing. The event was captured on a six hour video.

Denver civil rights attorney David Lane, who represented the family, had this to say:

"The death of Christopher Lopez was easily preventable and was caused by a mentality that the lives of prisoners are worthless. Hopefully, this settlement sends a message not just to Colorado prison authorities but to prison and jail authorities all over the country that the human beings they incarcerate must be treated like human beings."

Three guards were fired, five were disciplined and the Colorado Department of Corrections said:

Their​ actions were well outside of the Department's established training, policies, and practices...

What caused his seizures? According to the lawsuit, it was too much psychotropic medication administered to treat his schizophrenia, which in turn led to low sodium levels and acute hyponatremia.

"Almost all instances of hyponatremia are treatable if a person receives prompt and adequate medical attention," the lawsuit said.

Congrats to David Lane, who is (in my view) Colorado's best civil rights attorney.

< Shami Witness' Detention Extended for 15 Days | Wikileaks Releases CIA Report on High Value Detainees and Targeted Killings >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Guards Laugh as Inmate Dies: Colorado to Pay $3 Million | 16 comments (16 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Unfortunately,