Jeffrey McKinney
Jeffrey McKinney, 37, was a father of three who had a traumatic brain injury and a seizure disorder, according to his family's attorney. He died on May 22, 2012, at the Fayette County jail in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was being held. The Fayette County deputy coroner listed the cause as asphyxia from aspiration of stomach contents due to a seizure disorder, and the manner as undetermined. A federal judge's order found evidence that corrections officers used excessive force against him during a physical restraint after a seizure, and that some staff showed deliberate indifference to his medical needs. The family's wrongful-death lawsuit is ongoing, with a jury trial postponed pending an appeal by the officers.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Fayette deputy coroner attributed the death to aspiration during a seizure, but a federal judge found evidence that officers used excessive force restraining him and that some staff were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs.
Reported by: Fayette deputy coroner (medical examiner or coroner); Federal judge Karen Caldwell's order (court).
Lawsuit: His family sued over his death in the Fayette County jail, and a jury trial has been postponed pending an appeal by officers.