TEXARKANA, Texas -The family of a man who hanged himself in the Bowie County jail in the summer of 2019 is suing the private company that used to manage the lockup, Bowie County, Miller County and both Texarkanas.
Michael Rodden, 48, hanged himself July 6, 2019, in his cell with two socks fashioned together and tied to a bolt in the window of his one-man cell, according to a death report submitted to the Texas Attorney General by Bowie County Sheriff's Office.
Rodden's family filed suit Tuesday in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
A representative of LaSalle, which quit managing the Bowie County jail in mid-February, could not be reached for comment Friday. Texarkana lawyer Paul Miller, who has defended LaSalle and Bowie County in prior lawsuits involving the jail, could not be reached Friday.
Rodden's family claims Rodden made statements at the time of his arrest July 3, 2019, on an outstanding warrant that should have led to placement on suicide watch in the jail and a referral for mental health services while detained.
"At the time of his arrest, he made a statement to law enforcement that he intended to commit suicide. Law enforcement officers believed him and issued a two-county wide warning to other law enforcement officers to be aware of the credible threat in the event he were to commit 'suicide by cop,'" states the complaint filed by Hope, Arkansas, lawyer Blake Montgomery and Arkadelphia, Arkansas, lawyer Travis Berry.
Bowie County judge Bobby Howell said the county cannot comment on pending litigation. Miller County Judge Cathy Harrison was unavailable Friday afternoon.
The complaint alleges that LaSalle Corrections staff failed to follow its own policies and state law during the booking process, which should have led to Rodden being designated a suicide risk. Had Rodden been tagged as at risk for self-harm, his death might have been avoided, according to the complaint.
"During the entirety of Michael Rodden's detention, or during significant portions of Michael Rodden's detention, he was in possession of or had access to items with which he could have acted upon, and ultimately did act upon, his suicidal intentions, including but not limited to a pair of tube socks, along with various other unknown items," the complaint states.
The complaint also alleges LaSalle prepared documents to show that required cell checks on Rodden were performed when they were not.
"These documents have been proven to be false based on a Texas Commission on Jail Standards Special Inspection Report dated Aug. 7, 2019," the complaint states.
The complaint alleges that of the 11 checks logged as completed on Rodden between the hours of 12:30 a.m. and 8:58 a.m. on July 6, eight of the entries were false.
The complaint notes that LaSalle has had lawsuits regarding other in-custody deaths, including Michael Sabbie in 2015, Morgan Angerbauer in 2016 and Franklin Greathouse in March 2019.
Sabbie was apparently pepper sprayed as five correctional officers piled on top of him in a jail hallway. He had complained of breathing problems prior to the incident and shouted, "I can't breathe," repeatedly. He died after being placed back in his cell.
A civil suit in Sabbie's case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Angerbauer was a 20-year-old diabetic who was denied medical treatment for hours before her death of ketoacidosis, a condition resulting from severely high blood sugar.
A civil suit in Angerbauer's case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Greathouse complained of having a seizure and was allegedly deemed by a nurse to have not had a seizure because he could walk, hours before he was found dead in his cell.
A civil suit in Greathouse's case remains pending.
The complaint chronicles the cases of other inmates who died after being transported to a local hospital in serious medical distress.
The complaint alleges LaSalle failed to adequately train corrections and medical staff in light of the in-custody deaths, which occurred prior to Rodden's suicide.
The complaint further alleges violations of both Texas and Arkansas law as well as federal civil right statutes.
The complaint seeks damages for Rodden's medical and burial expenses; loss of companionship for his family members; punitive damages; attorney fees and court costs.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III.
None of the defendants has yet filed a response.