Lavern Ford
Lavern Ford, a man held in the Shelby County Jail in Tennessee while awaiting a pretrial hearing, died by suicide on June 13, 2011. His medical history included asthma, hypertension and bipolar disorder. A mental health assessment the day before found his suicide risk had increased. The family's claim says jailers did not remove items he could use to harm himself and did not check on him properly, and the county later paid the family $75,000.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's claim says jailers left items he could use to harm himself in his cell and did not check on him properly, and the county paid the family $75,000 to settle it.
Reported by: claim filed by family against the county.
Lawsuit: His family filed a claim against Shelby County, which paid them $75,000.