Sheriff gives deposition in Deschutes Jail death lawsuit
Almost a year after an inmate died from a meth overdose in the Deschutes County Jail, a $10.7 million lawsuit against the sheriff’s office and jail staff is moving forward.
The attorney representing the family of Edwin Mays III told NewsChannel 21 Thursday that she and her staff finished depositions with Sheriff Shane Nelson, Lt. Michael Gill and a jail nurse on Wednesday.
Jennifer Coughlin said she cannot share documents or testimony from the deposition, but she did say, “We felt positive that the information will help our case.”
Mays died Dec. 14 in a holding cell, several hours after jail tapes showed him displaying erratic behavior.
Audio and images from the video show jail staff mocking and laughing at Mays as he overdosed. Some jail staff even expressed concern that Mays might need to go to the hospital a couple hours before he died.
In March, District Attorney John Hummel asked the Oregon Department of Justice to investigate the death.
A spokeswoman for the DOJ told NewsChannel 21 Thursday that there were no updates available on the case, or news of when it might be finished.
Coughlin said she did not expect the case would be under investigation for eight months.
“It’s not normal,” Coughlin said. “But it’s a good thing (the DOJ) is taking a long, hard look at this matter.”
Coughlin added her office will not seek depositions from the individuals named in the lawsuit until the DOJ investigation is complete.
“We have to see if there will be any indictments against them for criminal behavior,” Coughlin said.
Coughlin said she hopes to get their testimony in January. She added a trial for the civil lawsuit is set for next fall.
Nelson provided NewsChannel 21 with this statement Thursday:
“I am not able to comment on specific details since this involves an ongoing Oregon Department of Justice investigation and current litigation. Our office has cooperated fully with the ongoing Oregon DOJ case and we are looking forward to its conclusion.”
