A federal lawsuit brought against then-Bradley County, Tennessee, Sheriff Eric Watson, the county government, a correctional health care company and another department officer by the family of a man who died in custody has been dismissed, according to a Wednesday statement by Watson.
The suit was filed April 19, 2019, in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga, records show, in the April 19, 2018, death of 46-year-old Brandon D. Gash, who was an inmate at the Bradley County Jail at the time of his death.
(READ MORE: Bradley County Sheriff’s Office 2017 manhunt sparks $5 million-plus lawsuit)
Watson said in the statement that two consolidated lawsuits filed against him, Bradley County, Quality Correctional Health Care and Gabe Thomas, a Bradley County officer, were dismissed. Federal records show orders were handed down Feb. 13 and 21 by U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan on motions by the plaintiffs to dismiss.
“This is another example how thousands of dollars were wasted on a bogus lawsuit that contain lies, false accusations, and political motivation against me and my administration while serving in office,” Watson said in his statement. “As Sheriff, I was elected to represent and serve the people of Bradley County in an unbiased and unprejudiced fashion, and I [performed] those duties as faithful as possible. Unfortunately, during my tenure, many false accusations were made against me and my administration, most of which were motivated with political intentions and personal gain. This dismissal by the court system further vindicates my service.”