Jeffry Alan Barton
Jeffry Alan Barton, 58, died on September 13, 2011, while held at the Hot Spring County Detention Center in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. He had been in a single-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 270 the night before and was arrested after a roadside breath test, then taken to the jail and placed in a holding room, where he was found dead shortly after midnight. The autopsy attributed his death to a heart condition, according to the court opinion. His estate has sued, alleging that officers denied him medical care; the Eighth Circuit let that claim proceed against Trooper Zachary Owens, while a dissenting judge argued Owens was entitled to qualified immunity.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy attributed his death to a heart condition, but his estate's lawsuit alleges officers, including Trooper Zachary Owens, denied him medical care.
Reported by: autopsy; his estate's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (court).
Lawsuit: His estate sued Arkansas State Trooper Zachary Owens and other officers, alleging they denied him medical care; the Eighth Circuit allowed the case against Owens to proceed, and no settlement or award is reported.