Lawsuit Settled in Inmate Death, Nov. 22

A 55-year old Waldport male, who was suffering from severe mental illness, died in the Lincoln County Jail on the Central Oregon Coast back in 2015 after he was booked on misdemeanor charges.  However, the autopsy of Bradley Thomas showed he suffered from significant dehydration before his death on April 8, 2015 when he was found unresponsive and naked on his jail cell floor.  A $2.85 million wrongful death lawsuit was brought by family members against the county claiming he had stopped eating and drinking while in custody.  A U.S. District Judge approved the settlement Oct. 19.