King County, WA to Pay $3 Million for Prisoner Beating

Excessive Force Settlement

King County, Washington will pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a prisoner who sustained serious and permanent injuries after he was beaten by another prisoner. The prison guards knew, and ignored that the assailant was dangerous, psychotic, and had a history of attacking people. The assailant had just been returned to the King County jail from a state hospital where he assaulted six individuals, including a mental health professional. On the morning of the attack, prison guards disregarded the victim’s pleas to be moved or protected after the assailant’s repeated threats. Less than an hour later, the victim (who weighed 145 pounds) was found unconscious and in a pool of blood on the floor of his cell after the assailant (who weighed 300 pounds) slammed his head against a metal sink. The victim sustained a traumatic brain injury, broken bones and teeth, and nerve damage in the attack. The victim still suffers from cognitive issues and PTSD.

This is the second seven-figure settlement in King County for a prison assault in the last four months. Read the full story here.

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