Ray Lawrence Jr.
Ray Lawrence Jr., 47, died on October 1, 2020, at Calcasieu Correctional Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he was held. He was found unresponsive in his single-occupancy cell. His family's lawsuit says officers used a stun gun and physical force on him before and after he reached the facility. The sheriff and the city denied wrongdoing and settled the lawsuit for $167,000 in 2022, and in April 2024 a grand jury declined to charge negligent homicide in his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). His family's lawsuit alleges officers used a stun gun and physical force on him before and after he reached the facility, and the sheriff and city denied wrongdoing and settled for $167,000 in 2022.
Reported by: family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Calcasieu Parish sheriff and city (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family sued the sheriff and city over his death, and the defendants settled for $167,000 in 2022.