EDWARDSVILLE – The brother of a man who died while in custody at the Madison County jail is suing the former sheriff and jail staff, alleging they ignored the inmate's complaints of heroin withdrawal symptoms before eventually passing out and hitting his head.
Plaintiff Jayson Bull, individually and acting as special administrator of the estate of his brother Mark Bull, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against former Madison County Sheriff John D. Lakin, several unnamed officers and Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc., citing negligence and willful and wanton conduct.
According to the lawsuit, Mark Bull was arrested and taken to jail by Madison County officers on June 14, 2022. Bull had been taken into custody several times prior to this arrest and was known to struggle with an addiction to heroin, a fact the plaintiff claims should have been known to Lakin and other Madison County officers. The lawsuit states that Lakin and the officers should have been aware of the dangers and withdrawal symptoms associated with the sudden discontinuation of using opiates.
Sometime after being placed in a jail cell, Bull reported to officers that he was "dope sick" from the sudden withdrawal of using opiates. Despite his concerns, the officers allegedly told him to drink water and said he would be fine. The lawsuit states that during his time in custody, officers and jail staff never contacted Bull's doctor or family members about his condition and never had him checked by medical care workers on staff at the jail.
On June 28, 2022, after nearly two weeks of suffering from his condition, Bull passed out and hit his head on the jail floor. He was transferred to Anderson Hospital, where he was determined to have suffered from sustained internal bleeding, heart attacks, and an ulcer due to his sudden and complete withdrawal of using opiates. Mark died on June 29, 2022.
The plaintiff states that while Mark Bull was in custody, the defendants had a responsibility to care for his safety and welfare. He claims the defendants negligently failed to ensure Bull received proper medical attention, failed to properly monitor his health and worsening condition and failed to issue him proper medication to avert his condition.
The suit states that Bull experienced pain, suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation and ultimately died as a result of the defendants' negligence and carelessness.
Jayson Bull is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. He is represented in this case by attorney Suvir Dhar of Dhar Legal Group, LLC. in St. Louis.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2023LA392