Cops seen 'laughing and joking' at military veteran: Lawsuit
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An image of bodycam footage included in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Glenn Smallwood Jr.’s family (Lawsuit).

The family of a Texas military veteran who died after being restrained by jail guards while having a mental health crisis is suing for wrongful death.

According to the federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday, 33-year-old Glenn Smallwood Jr. was arrested in June 2023 on a misdemeanor public intoxication charge. But his family claims in the lawsuit that he was “in a medical and mental health crisis” at the time of the arrest and in need of medical attention. In the lawsuit, several parties including Angelina County, a nurse, and a sheriff’s lieutenant, are accused of failing to get Smallwood the help he needed and allegedly letting him die.

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The lawsuit, filed by civil rights attorney Erik Heipt on behalf of Glenn Smallwood’s estate, outlined what allegedly happened after the U.S. Army veteran was taken to the Angelina County Jail in Lufkin, Texas. According to the lawsuit, Smallwood’s mental condition was “readily apparent” upon his arrival, and that he was “paranoid, confused, sweating, shaking, unsteady, and bleeding from his mouth.”

It was the facility’s policy to restrain intoxicated detainees in a chair while they sobered up, which was what the guards at the county jail did to Smallwood. But his condition soon reportedly deteriorated and he became “listless” and started vomiting. The lawsuit stated that the position in which Smallwood was strapped made it harder for him to breathe.

The lawsuit — which included images taken from an officer’s body worn camera — says that while Smallwood was strapped to the chair and vomiting, the guards were “smiling, laughing, and joking in reaction to Mr. Smallwood’s sickness.” The lawsuit quoted one officer as saying “in jest” that “I might throw up if I see that again, man, I can’t.”

In response, the lawsuit said that the guards “fastened and tightened” the straps restraining Smallwood. He was then wheeled into a “detox” holding cell. The suit said, “Before shutting the door, guards heard him retching and moaning and saw him lose consciousness.”

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