GREENSBURG, Ind. – The death of an inmate has led to a lawsuit alleging wrongdoing by Decatur County Sheriff Greg Allen and jail employees.
M. Shane Satterfield, 38, died March 17 while serving a two week sentence for drunken driving at the Decatur County Jail.
His mother, Lynn Brewsaugh, of Greensburg, filed a federal lawsuit Friday accusing the sheriff and jail staff of “callousness or reckless indifference” in her son’s death.
The coroner’s report indicated Satterfield died of natural causes from complications of alcohol withdrawal.
According to the Greensburg Daily News, the suit alleges jail staff did not react appropriately to Satterfield’s deteriorating condition, nor abide by a medical watch of the inmate every half hour.
Among other allegations, the lawsuit also accuses jail officers of taking no action although Satterfield “cut himself and even wrote “HELP” on the wall with his own feces”
The lawsuit specifically names the sheriff, jail commander and 12 deputies and jail staffers.
The department declined comment to the newspaper due to the pending lawsuit.
Findings of the most recent state annual inspection of the jail show it is understaffed and overcrowded.
