The daughter of a man who died in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center in 2014 is suing the county and two unnamed corrections officers, alleging her father’s death was due to jail guards’ use of “excessive force.”
The lawsuit states John Fletcher Miller suffered a heart attack and died on Sept. 1, 2014, when two corrections officers tried to restrain him.
The suit alleges Miller was incarcerated in an “obvious state of intoxication” and over the course of four days “exhibited clear signs of alcohol withdrawal.” But, according to the suit, when a nurse told guards, they ignored the information and “carelessly interpreted” his symptoms for “aggressive acts.”
Miller was pronounced dead at Truman Medical Center.
The lawsuit comes months after an FBI investigation was announced, looking into whether a pattern of abuse existed inside the detention center.
41 Action News reached out to the county. A spokesman said the county "cannot comment on pending litigation."
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
