Warren Lindvold
Warren Lindvold, 72, had a progressive arthritis condition he had lived with since high school, according to a family friend. He was arrested by Valley City police in July 2018 and held at the Barnes County Jail, where he complained of neck pain and was taken to a hospital before being returned to the jail. A police report says staff waited about three hours before attending to him after he was found on the floor of his cell, and he died six days later at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, on July 21, 2018. An autopsy reported by The Forum found a broken neck caused his death, and the family's attorney, Cash Aaland, says in a lawsuit that he was left in pain for hours and that the county's failures contributed to his death. A Cass County prosecutor found no evidence to support criminal charges against officers.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The autopsy reported a broken neck, but the final ruling is pending, and his family's attorney Cash Aaland says untrained officers used excessive force and that staff left him on the cell floor for hours without help.
Reported by: State Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Barnes County State's Attorney; Cass County prosecutor (outside investigators); Cash Aaland, family attorney (family or their lawyers); Barnes County Jail staff (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family sued Barnes County and the sheriff over his death at the Barnes County Jail, and the lawsuit's damages amount has not been specified.