A man had his serious medical needs ignored while he was a pretrial detainee at the McMinn County Jail, which ultimately caused his untimely death by suicide, according to a federal lawsuit.
Tanya Bradford is the administrator of Matthew Foster’s estate and filed the lawsuit on his behalf. Foster allegedly hung himself in the shower July 27, 2024, a few hours after jail staff removed him from a suicide watch.
Over 20 defendants were named in the complaint, including the county, Sheriff Joe Guy and the jail health care provider, Direct Primary Care Associates.
“When a lawsuit claim is filed, the claims do not have to be truthful or accurate: It is simply statements of allegation,” Guy said in an email. “The allegations in this claim are inaccurate and misdirected.”
Foster came into the McMinn County Jail and passed two medical screenings in which he denied any suicidal thoughts or intentions after being asked directly, Guy said.