McMinn County and its Sheriff’s Office claim a man who hung himself inside the jail showed no signs of being suicidal, and the involved parties are not liable for his death.
On Monday, the county filed an answer to allegations made by the family of Matthew Foster, who hung himself in the shower July 27, 2024.
Foster was held in the McMinn County Jail for one day, and the staff’s “deliberate indifference” to his serious medical needs “ultimately caused his untimely death by suicide,” the complaint said.
But the county argues all the nurses, pharmacy technicians and officers who met with Foster acted reasonably, prudently and in good faith, the answer said.
Foster arrived at 9:52 p.m. on July 26, 2024, to the jail.