Family of man who died in Lansing jail files lawsuit

LANSING - The family of a Lansing man who police said committed suicide in the Lansing Detention Center in 2013 filed a federal civil lawsuit against nearly a dozen police officers and jail personnel.

The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, alleges the officers and jail personnel neglected 23-year-old Joseph Manning "without any concern for his medical needs," which caused or increased his risk of death. The city is not named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages as well as attorney fees.

In an interview Wednesday, Remeka Manning, Manning's sister, said her family isn't motivated by money, but rather wants justice for her brother and for the officers to be held accountable.

“Every day that I wake up, it is horrible for me," she said. "I have to force myself to get through the day. I have nightmares about what happened to my brother. … It’s something I don't wish on my worst enemy."

Her brother wasn't a felon, she said. He was a loving brother, son, uncle and friend. He graduated high school. He looked out for people.

Manning was arrested on Aug. 23, 2013 for fleeing from police. He was a passenger in a vehicle police said was involved in a theft from a liquor store. He was found unresponsive in his cell later that day after police said he tried to hang himself with the draw string from his sweatpants.

The lawsuit alleges police and jail personnel knew Manning had a history of suicidal behavior, which conflicts with the 2013 report police released after investigations of the incident.

The report said Manning had a history of similar disruptive behavior but he didn't make any comments about suicidal thoughts during the booking process or as he was placed into a cell. The report did say, however, that jail personnel didn't physically search Manning or read him the initial screening risk assessment questions.

Manning was placed in isolation because he was uncooperative. He became disruptive when he was placed in the cell and clogged the cell's toilet with a sock.

"Joseph was neglected by Defendant Officer after an extended period of time by failing to routinely check on Joseph," James Harrington, attorney for Manning's family, wrote in the lawsuit. "The Defendant Officers caused or substantially increased Joseph's risk of death by leaving him to lie on the cell floor rather than rendering him immediate medical assistance."

The lawsuit alleges the first jail officer who found Manning tried to get him to move before realizing he was unresponsive. Police called Lansing Fire Department for a medical response, which arrived seven minutes after the call, according to the lawsuit.

Police Chief Mike Yankowski said in 2014 that Manning could have been without oxygen for about 14 minutes.

Remeka Manning questioned what the jail staff was doing while Manning was without oxygen and before he was found.  

"I feel like the Lansing Police Department let my brother die," she said.

Manning was taken to the hospital and placed on life support, according to the lawsuit, and died April 30, 2013 after he was taken off life support.

In an interview Monday, Yankowski said it's department policy not to comment on pending lawsuits, but said the department's condolences have gone out to Manning's family.

"There were two formal investigations that cleared our employees," he said, "and we're confident that we will prevail in court."

He declined to answer specific questions and directed a reporter to the department's 2014 report.

Six officers or jail personnel were placed on paid administrative leave after the incident but all later returned to work.

In April 2014, Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney Stuart Dunnings III cleared the officers and jail personnel of any criminal wrongdoing.

The 2014 report by an internal review board, made up of department command officers and a representative of the city attorney's office, found jail officers followed policies and procedures, but did make several recommendations.

One of the recommendations calls for all draw strings in clothing to be removed. The report added that officers and jail staff successfully prevented every other suicide attempt in the facility's history.

Lansing police Det. Brad St. Aubin, the Fraternal Order of Police's Capitol City Lodge No. 141 president, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The local Fraternal Order of Police represents the police officers named in the lawsuit.

St. Aubin said the city has historically paid for legal fees when officers face lawsuits related to their jobs.

The officers and jail personnel named in the lawsuit are: Trevor Arnold, Gregg Rosenberry, Jason Davis, Rebecca Kopf, Brian Ellis, Kyle Schlagel, Brad Hough, Jennianne Maatman, Sarah Willson, Corey Campbell, Rodney Anderson and one other employee whose complete name is not listed.

It was not clear who is still working for the Police Department or in the city jail.

Harrington and a representative of union for jail personnel didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

Attorneys for the officers and jail personnel will have about 30 days to file their response to the lawsuit.

Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.