WATCHING HIM CROAK WAS HILARIOUS

Oregon jail staff laugh as man struggles with overdose

By Cole Miller and KOIN 6 News Staff

KOIN
October 4, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A lawsuit claims the Clackamas County Jail and several of its employees violated a man's civil rights by not providing proper medical care while he was in custody.

Bryan Perry, 31, died of a drug overdose on November 3, 2016, after spending hours in a padded cell. A video filmed by jail staff shows him writhing around, unable to control his body while employees laugh and comment on his behavior.

The individual defendants named are nurses Jana Rackley, Camille Valberg, Nadia Petrov, Dr. Alex Salazar and CCSO employees Shawn Shultz, Benjamin Lefever, Matt Savage, Ricky Paurus, Lacey Sundquist, Richard Taylor, Nick Johnson and Matrona Shadrin.

The lawsuit, filed by Perry's mother, claims the Army veteran was clearly intoxicated and moving his body uncontrollably but nurses working at the jail only checked on him twice, spending less than 5 minutes with him.

The lawsuit claims Corizon Health Inc., which provides medical care for the jail, "has a nationwide pattern and practice of failing to properly treat jail inmates experiencing drug or alcohol overdose or withdrawal."

Deputy reports said Perry was starting to experience involuntary movements consistent with methamphetamine use at the time of his arrest.

One report said when Deputy Lefever checked on Perry after about 20 minutes in his cell, "Perry was difficult to deal with due to the arm and leg movements, but Perry did not appear combative, just not in control of his body."

Perry was eventually taken to Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital around 11:20 p.m. when jail employees determined he needed medical attention.

Deputy Paurus said Perry was still moving uncontrollably at 11 p.m. when deputies and medical staff went to check on him.

"Paurus felt Perry start to become less rigid and saw the color start to leave Perry's face. At the time, medical staff recognized Perry needed further care and left the cell to get other instruments," the report says. "A few moments later an AED was brought to the cell and CPR was started on Perry."

Paurus' account of the incident said deputies called for an ambulance and continued care until paramedics arrived.

Perry died of cardiac arrest at the hospital. According to the doctor who examined Perry after his death, he had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system.

The lawsuit also mentions the video, filmed by Deputy Matrona Shadrin, which shows Perry writhing and wailing in his cell. In the video, employees can be heard laughing and making comments about him.

One deputy said Perry should go to schools as "the new DARE."

"You could just take him and put him in front of the class" someone joked.

"You could just wheel him in a cage and wheel him back out," one said.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts released the video and said the "callous comments" prompted an investigation and disciplinary action against those involved. Roberts said the person who filmed the video -- Shadrin -- had already resigned by the time the investigation started.

"The laughter, substance, and tone of several comments heard from my employees in that video were inappropriate, and do not conform to our professional standards," Roberts said in a statement. "Compassionate treatment of those suffering from addiction and/or mental health issues is a cornerstone of our agency."

Roberts could not comment on the lawsuit.

Bryan Perry was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army with a Purple Heart.

Corizon Health was also named in lawsuit filed by a family whose daughter died of a heroine overdose in Washington County Jail cell.