Michael Jones
Family members said Michael Jones, 43, had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and his family's attorney said they wanted the officers involved held accountable for his death. He died in February 2009 at the Iberia Parish Jail, where he was held, after a struggle with jail staff during a cell check. Autopsies found evidence of choking and strangulation. A judge in a civil wrongful-death case found that a former deputy used excessive force and that a nurse failed to care for him in the minutes before paramedics arrived, and awarded a $61,000 judgment; no criminal charges were filed. Sheriff Louis Ackal has since asked the FBI to investigate.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). A judge in a wrongful-death civil trial found that excessive force by a former deputy caused his death, and that a nurse failed to care for him before paramedics arrived; Sheriff Louis Ackal has asked the FBI to investigate.
Reported by: Judge Paul deMahy (court); Sheriff Louis Ackal's office (Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office) (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: A wrongful-death lawsuit over Michael Jones's death at the Iberia Parish Jail resulted in a judge ruling in 2016 that two Sheriff's Office employees were responsible and awarding a $61,000 judgment.