Christopher Lopez Colorado - The family of a mentally ill prisoner, who died in custody after suffering from grand mal seizures, while guards and nurses watched and laughed for hours, have been awarded a $3 million settlement.
Reports indicate that on Thursday the Colorado Department of Corrections agreed to compensate the family of Christopher Lopez $3 million after his tragic death at the San Carlos Correctional Facility in Pueblo in 2013.
According to local sources, 35-year-old Lopez suffered from bipolar schizoaffective disorder. His death, on March 17th last year, which could have been prevented, was captured on camera by San Carlos Correctional staff.
Reports indicate that sometime around 3:30 a.m. on that day, officers found Lopez lying face down on the floor of his cell semiconscious and unresponsive. He was also shaking.
Prison guards thought Lopez was feigning being ill and decided not to provide him any medical assistance. Instead, six officers, wearing riot gear, removed him from his cell, took his clothes off, chained him to a restraint chair and covered his head with a spit hood. He was later removed from the chair; however he remained shackled on the floor.
In the disturbing six-hour long footage, guards, along with some nurses, watched and laughed as Lopez had seizures. They joked that he was faking his condition. They also talked about different topics including shopping.
A nurse, who was later identified as Cheryl Neumeister, a mental health practitioner, can be seen telling Lopez's dead body: "I can see you breathing."
At 9:10 a.m. Christopher Lopez died on the concrete floor of severe hyponatremia (low sodium-blood levels), a condition which can be treated if medical help is provided quickly. He was wearing only his underwear.
Prison officials did not report his death to the state health department for 17 months - a clear violation of state laws that require deaths of inmates to be reported within a day.
"The facility was obliged to report it (within one day). They did not. A death is a reportable offense," said Judy Hughes, chief of the Health Facilities and Medical Emergency Division.
After finding out, Christopher Lopez's family were outraged by his death and the manner it occurred. His mother Juanita Lopez filed a suit against the Department of Corrections in June 2014.
According to David Lane, the Lopez family attorney, his death was "easily preventable and was caused by a mentality that the lives of prisoners are worthless."
"Hopefully, this settlement sends a message not just to Colorado prison authorities but to prison and jail authorities all over the country that the human beings they incarcerate must be treated like human beings," Lane added.
Reports indicate that after the Christopher Lopez Colorado death became public, three prison guards were fired while five other faced disciplinary actions.
Prior to his imprisonment and subsequent death, Christopher Lopez had been incarcerated multiple times for minor offenses.
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