BENTON – St. Clair County Sheriff Rick Watson and the estate of former jail inmate Joshua Jurcich settled a wrongful death suit for $850,000 on Feb. 25.
Trial would have started April 1, before U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle.
In January, Yandle ruled that estate administrator Dawn Corbier could pursue a claim that Watson lacked adequate suicide prevention policies.
She also ruled that Corbier could pursue a claim that jail superintendent Phillip McLaurin and five officers failed to protect Jurcich, and a claim of excessive force against five other officers, finding a dispute as to whether Jurcich kicked and struggled.
Corbier could also pursue a claim that Watson bore responsibility for actions of employees.
Police brought Jurcich to jail on March 6, 2014, on a charge that he possessed a controlled substance.
On March 9, he told nurse Sandra Thurman he was dope sick. He said he had scabies, so she placed him in medical segregation.
On March 11, a jailer opened his cell to pass him a lunch tray. Jurcich took it and headed toward the day room.
Officer James Wagener told him to return to his cell; Jurcich refused and Wagener repeated the order.
Another officer called for help by radio.
Officers Dante Beattie, Mark Harris, Thomas Mesey, and Eric Walter responded.
According to Yandle, their reports and video show they struck his knees, used an arm bar, and tried to pressure a main nerve.
Later that day, officer Jon Knyff found Jurcich hanging.
A crew rushed him to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, where he died two days later.
Northwestern University’s MacArthur Justice Center filed suit for Corbier in 2016, with LaToya Berry as local counsel.
Corbier sued Watson, 21 employees, and St. Clair County.