Associated Press
PUEBLO, Colo. — The family of a mentally ill Colorado prison inmate who died in restraints filed a lawsuit Thursday saying that corrections officers ignored his medical needs as he suffered a series of seizures.
The lawsuit filed in federal court says at least 16 state prison staff members did nothing to help Christopher Lopez, 35, as he died at the San Carlos prison on March 17, 2013.
Lopez suffered from bipolar schizoaffective disorder, the lawsuit says. He was serving a four-year sentence for assaulting a corrections officer after a previous conviction for trespassing.
When officers found Lopez unresponsive on his cell floor, they treated his condition as a behavioral problem instead of a medical emergency and put him in chains and shackles, according to the lawsuit.
The incident was captured on prison cameras, the lawsuit says. One of the photos accompanying the lawsuit shows Lopez handcuffed to a chair, slumping to one side.
Lopez was visibly shaking at times and was unable to answer a officer’s questions, according to the lawsuit.
Department of Corrections spokeswoman Adrienne Jacobson said Thursday three employees were fired and five were reprimanded after an investigation into Lopez’s death.
In an email, Jacobson said the department “does not condone the actions or omissions of the employees involved.” Their response did not conform to department policies or training, she said.
Jacobson called Lopez’s death a tragedy.