Widow Of Inmate Files Suit Against Jefferson County
A lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern Division of Tennessee at Knoxville regarding the death of Jeffrey Free, an inmate in the Jefferson County Jail. Donna Free, the wife of Jeffrey Free and the executor of his estate, is named as the Plaintiff, with the Defendants being Jefferson County Sheriff G.W. “Bud” McCoig, Chief Jailer at the Jefferson County Jail Ricky Oaks and Jefferson County, Tennessee.
The allegations of the lawsuit are that Jeffrey Free reported to the Jefferson County Jail on January 11, 2014 to serve 45 days due to a conviction of 2nd offence DUI in December of 2013. Preceding Free’s arrival at the jail, Brenda Williamson, Free’s sister, took his medial records to the jail. These records outlined Free’s medical conditions, including RBD, which made him a high risk for suicide. Williamson accompanied Free when he reported to the jail to serve his sentence and spoke directly to Chief Jailer Oaks regarding her brother’s medical condition and his high risk for suicide, which would require precautions. The lawsuit contends that Chief Jailer Oaks assured Williamson that this was not uncommon and there would be no problem.
Free was placed in a medical unit at the Jefferson County Jail on January 11, 2014. On January 12, 2014, just before 9 pm, Free committed suicide by hanging himself. The suicide was discovered after 3am on January 13, 2014, according to the allegations filed. Further, it alleges that despite the fact that Free was in the medical unit, the unit was not staffed. And, that prior to the death of Free, Tennessee Corrections Institute Jail Inspector William Cane had, in the presence of a formerly employed nurse, Judy Walker, informed the Sheriff that the unit had to be staffed if an inmate was in the medical unit. The lawsuit claims that, reportedly, the Sheriff responded that he did not have enough staff to staff the medical unit, regardless of the number of inmates in the unit.
According to the papers filed, Free was relieved of his shoelaces upon entering the jail because of the risk of suicide. Because he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, he was allowed to take his C-Pac machine into the jail. He was given an extension cord to use the machine and a long “squeegee” stick was placed in his cell. It was with the stick and extension cord that Free hung himself.
The lawsuit contends that, when Free’s suicide was discover six hours later, there was no licensed medical personnel on hand and that the acting nurse, who was dispensing medication, had not yet passed the licensure requirements, though she had attended nursing school. It also contends that, upon information and belief, there was a “suicide cell” that had a monitor in it which could be viewed from the Master Control and Free was not placed in that cell.
The Plaintiff avers that, though Free’s medical condition and needs were presented to the authorities at the Jefferson County Jail, the Defendants Sheriff McCoig and Chief Jailer Oaks were “deliberately indifferent to that serious medical need”. Donna Free, the Plaintiff, is requesting $1,000,000 in compensatory damages against the Defendants, and $100,000 each in punitive damages against each individual defendant. Also the Plaintiff is requesting to be awarded reasonable attorney fees and court costs, as well as other, further and general relief that she may show herself entitled.
Attorneys for the Plaintiff are listed as John E. Eldridge (800 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee) and P. Richard Talley (145 E. Main Street, Dandridge, Tennessee).
