Confidential Settlement for Police failure to prevent suicide
Despondent about being in jail on minor charges, a woman verbalized her thinking about killing herself to a police officer. She was placed in a cell that had video surveillance so that the jail staff could respond to her if she followed through on her suicidal ideation. The police officer charged with monitoring the surveillance camera failed to watch the video feed and the woman committed suicide. Her family turned to Harold Goodman to investigate the circumstances of her death and to hold the jail staff accountable. Harold and his team established that the suicide occurred within full view of the cameras and the suicide was entirely preventable. The Police Departments settled the family’s claim on a confidential basis.