Anoka County to settle lawsuit with former inmate for $2.75 million

Anoka County to settle lawsuit with former inmate for $2.75 million

Anoka County to settle lawsuit with former inmate for $2.75 million

Anoka County will spend $2.75 million to settle a lawsuit with a former inmate, according to the law firm that brought the case.

Deyonta Green was 25 years old when he was booked into the Anoka County Jail in 2022. A few days later, he was hospitalized, according to the lawsuit he filed two years later.

The complaint alleged jail staff denied Green access to “critical healthcare” for days, resulting in “…severe and long-lasting…” medical issues.

Katie Bennett, a partner at Minneapolis-based Robins Kaplan LLP law firm and the lead attorney representing Green, said the $2.75 million settlement signified a chance to move forward.

“I think he’s generally just happy to have it in his rearview mirror and move forward in life,” Bennett said.

It all started on Feb. 5, 2022, when Green was booked into the jail. He was struggling with opioid addiction and was prescribed medication to manage withdrawal symptoms but never got it, despite pleas from family, the lawsuit alleged.

“They held it and made the conscious decision not to give it to him, ” Bennett said. “And shortly after his arrival, starts experiencing severe withdrawal… I think he described it as, you know, ‘wishing he was dead’ actually. It was that horrific for him.”

“He basically is allowed to deteriorate in front of the eyes of medical staff and the correctional officer staff,” Bennett continued.

On Feb. 12, 2022, the complaint alleged Anoka County Jail staff found Green “…unconscious, lying face down in his vomit-covered cell…”

Sometime after that, he was transported to a hospital.

“He’s found unresponsive, laying on his cell or cell floor,” Bennett recalled. “But then he’s brought out and forced to walk down the stairs after sustaining a severe head injury.”

In a statement, Anoka County maintained its employees “…did everything possible to provide Mr. Green with the emergency care he needed…” adding, “Most importantly, we are glad that Mr. Green appears to have recovered from his injuries, and we wish him all the best going forward.”

“At the bottom line, I think people just need to care,” Bennett said. “Care about what they’re seeing in front of them in the jail, treating inmates as human beings, and trying to do their job and not let it get to this point where someone suffers horribly and then suffers horrible injuries as a result of that suffering.”

The county also noted it no longer contracts with the medical company that was in charge of Green’s care at the time.

Green did not wish to comment on this report.

“He’s not fully recovered but doing well given his injuries,” Bennett said.

Read the full statement from Anoka County below:

“Anoka County is glad to have resolved this case with Mr. Green. The health and well-being of the inmates at the Anoka County jail is a top priority for the county, and we take seriously the care of all inmates. After a thorough review of all the circumstances leading up to Mr. Green’s injury, we found Anoka County employees did everything possible to provide Mr. Green with the emergency care he needed, and we are confident in the abilities of our detention deputies to respond appropriately to medical issues in the jail. The county no longer contracts with the medical provider in charge of providing care at the time of Mr. Green’s injuries. Most importantly, we are glad that Mr. Green appears to have recovered from his injuries, and we wish him all the best going forward.”