Nick Christie
Nick Christie was a 62-year-old retired boilermaker from Girard, Ohio, a grandfather of two who had been married to his wife Joyce for 40 years. He had heart disease and emphysema, and his wife repeatedly tried to get help for him before he traveled to Florida in March 2009. While held at the Lee County jail in Fort Myers, he was pepper sprayed, strapped into a restraint chair with a spit hood, and, according to the family, denied his medication. He was taken to a hospital in respiratory distress, suffered multiple heart attacks, and was declared brain dead on March 31, 2009, before life support was removed. Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Robert Pfalzgraf ruled the death a homicide, saying his heart gave out from stress related to the pepper spray, while the sheriff's internal review found no wrongdoing and the family's civil rights lawsuit is pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled it a homicide, with his heart giving out from stress after deputies pepper sprayed him, while the sheriff's internal review found no wrongdoing and his family's civil rights lawsuit is pending; the account also says staff denied him his medication.
Reported by: Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Robert Pfalzgraf (medical examiner or coroner).
Lawsuit: His family filed a civil rights lawsuit over his death, which remains pending.