EL PASO COUNTY — El Paso County and its sheriff's office will pay part of a more than $1,875 million settlement to the family of a Colorado Springs man who died in jail. Daniel Murray, 37, passed away in his cell on July 4, 2022 after attorneys say the medical team at the jail failed to treat him for symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal.
The 63-page suit names El Paso County, Sheriff Joseph Roybal, the county Board of Commissioners, the medical provider at the jail, Wellpath, LLC and two individuals as having responsibility in Murray's death.
When the father of five was arrested on July 29, 2022 on suspicion of violating a protection order, a misdemeanor, he was unable to bond out, the family attorney wrote. "That inability would turn into a death sentence," the suit said.
The El Paso County Coroner found Murray died of chronic alcohol abuse.
In the lawsuit, Murray's family claims that despite him being upfront about his habit of drinking a pint of hard alcohol a day, Murray was never examined by a doctor. They also claim that no one followed up during his five-day pre-trial detainment to see whether the prescription written to help with withdrawals was working. The suit outlines how Murray was observed hallucinating and that he told a deputy he had a seizure the day before he died.
"That they ignored a critical and obvious symptom like hallucination reflects systemic, well-documented, nationwide issues in jails privatizing inmate medical care: It's cheaper for El Paso County, and more profitable for Wellpath, LLC, the Jail's medical provider, to let some sick inmates die than it is to provide a level of care adequate to save lives," the suit said.
The sheriff's office extended its condolences to Murray's family in announcing the pending settlement in a statement which says in part, "We hope this settlement provides the family an opportunity to continue their healing journey."
El Paso County will pay $500,000 of the settlement and the remaining $1,375,000 will be covered by the county's insurance company.
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