FORIMMEDIATERELEASE CONTACT:JimBrayMay20,2016 217-494-5532St.ClairCountySuedAgainOverAnotherJailSuicide

Officer’sresponsetosuicidethreat:“Whatever,dowhatyouwanttodo.”

EASTST.LOUIS,Ill.–Approximatelyfivehoursaftertellinghisjailersthatheintendedtokillhimselfandbeingtold“whatever,dowhatyouwanttodo,”BradleyC.ScarpiwasfoundhangingbyabedsheetintheSt.ClairCountyJail,accordingtoalawsuitfiledFridayintheU.S.DistrictCourtfortheSouthernDistrictofIllinois.Scarpi,33,ofBelleville,diedatSt.Elizabeth’sHospitalinBellevilleonMay23,2014,lessthanhourafterhewasdiscoveredhangingfromhiscellbarsinajailthat-despiteseveralrecentsuicideattemptsandstudiesshowingsuicideastheleadingcauseofdeathsinjail–doesnothaveformalpoliciesregardingsuicidepreventionanddoesnotadequatelytrainitsstaffinsuicideprevention,accordingtothelawsuit.“BradwasmorethanavictimoftheSt.ClairCountyJail’scrueltyandindifference,”saidDwayneWhite,theolderbrotherofthedeceasedexecutorofhisestate.“Hewasabrother,ason,afatherandafriendtosomany.Heislovedandmissed.OurfamilyisbringingthislawsuittouncoverthetruthaboutwhathappenedtoBradandtohelpensurethatnootherfamilyhastosufferthiskindofloss.”InadditiontoSt.ClairCounty,whichoperatesthejail,defendantsincludeSt.ClairCountySheriffRichardWatson;MajorPhillipMcLaurin,superintendentofthejail;andadozenofficersatthejail.ThecomplaintallegestheyviolatedScarpi’sconstitutionalright“tobefreefromaknownandunreasonableriskofseriousharmwhileinthecustodyoftheSt.ClairCountyJail.

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Page2May20,2016Scarpi’sestatebroughtthelegalactionandisrepresentedbyVanessadelValle,LockeE.Bowman,SheilaA.Bedi,andDavidM.Shapiro,attorneyswiththeRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenter,apublicinterestlawfirmthatispartoftheNorthwesternPritzkerSchoolofLaw’sBluhmLegalClinicinChicago.BellevilleattorneyLatoyaBerryalsorepresentsScarpi’sestateinthecase.ThisisthesecondrecentfederallawsuitbroughtagainsttheSt.ClairCountyinrelationtoajailsuicide.TheMacArthurJusticeCenterandBerryalsorepresenttheestateofJoshuaJurcich,whohunghimselfinajailcelltwomonthsbeforeScarpicommittedsuicide.AlittlemorethanayearafterthesuicidesofScarpiandJurcich,athirdperson,19-year-oldDamonE.Stidimire,committedsuicideatthejailinOctober2015.BetweenJanuary2014andOctober2015,therewere14othersuicideattemptsatthejail.ThelawsuitstatesthatScarpi,arooferbytrade,livedwiththedisabilityofseriousmentalillnessandhaddevelopedanaddictiontoprescriptionpainpillsfollowingajob-relatedbackinjury,accordingtothelawsuit.For11years,hehadcycledinandoutoftheSt.ClairCountyJail,andhadbeeninthejailalittlemorethanamonthbeforehisdeath.Onthedayofhissuicide,Scarpitoldofficershehadbeenthreatenedbyothersinthejailandrequestedtomovedawayfromthetwomenmakingthethreatsandtheirfriends.WhilebeingmovedtocellblockE-Max,Scarpitoldofficersthathewasgoingtokillhimself,buttheofficersdismissedhisthreats.Whileinhisnewcell,whichwasnotanadequatesuicide-proofcell,ScarpitoldOfficerChristopherLanzantethathewasgoingtokillhimself,andLanzanteresponded:“whatever,dowhatyouwanttodo,”andwalkedaway,accordingtothecomplaint.ThelawsuitchargesthedefendantsfailedtoprovideScarpiwithadequatementalhealthservices,failedtoplacehiminasuicide-proofcellandfailedtoconductregularchecksonhimwhilehewasinhiscell.Theroutinedenialofaccesstopropermentalhealthcareanddenialofsafe,suicidepreventioncellsresultedinpracticesthat“wereallowedtoflourish–andbecomesowellsettledastoconstitutedefactopolicyoftheSt.ClairCountySheriff’sDepartment,”thesuitstates.Thecomplaint,filedonbehalfoftwoyoungsonssurvivingScarpi,seeksunspecifiedmoneydamagesforthewrongfuldeath.

###AbouttheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenterTheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenteradvocatesforhumanrightsandsocialjusticethroughlitigation.Asoneofthenation'spremiercivilrightsorganizations,theMacArthurJusticeCenterhasplayedaprominentroleinbringingChicagopolicemisconductandtorturetothepublic'sattentionandhashelpedwrongfullyconvictedmenandwomenwinmulti-milliondollarverdictsandsettlementsascompensationforthetimetheyspentinprison.