The family of a Texas military veteran who died after being restrained by jail guards while experiencing a mental health crisis is suing for wrongful death.
According to the federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Glenn Smallwood Jr., 33, was arrested in June 2023 for misdemeanor public intoxication. However, his family claims in the lawsuit that he was “in a medical and mental health crisis” at the time of arrest and required medical attention. In the lawsuit, several parties, including Angelina County, a nurse, and a sheriff’s lieutenant, are accused of failing to provide Smallwood with the necessary assistance and allowing him to die.
The lawsuit, filed by civil rights attorney Erik Heipt on behalf of Glenn Smallwood’s estate, detailed what allegedly occurred after the US Army veteran was transported to the Angelina County Jail in Lufkin, Texas. According to the lawsuit, Smallwood’s mental state was “readily apparent” upon his arrival, as he was “paranoid, confused, sweating, shaking, unsteady, and bleeding from his mouth.”
The facility’s policy was to restrain intoxicated detainees in a chair until they sobered up, which is what the county jail guards did to Smallwood. However, his condition quickly reportedly deteriorated, and he became “listless” and began vomiting. The lawsuit claimed that the position in which Smallwood was strapped made it difficult for him to breathe.
The lawsuit, which included images from an officer’s body-worn camera, claims that while Smallwood was strapped to the chair and vomiting, the guards were “smiling, laughing, and joking in reaction to Mr. Smallwood’s sickness.” According to the lawsuit, one officer said “in jest” that “I might throw up if I see that again, man, I can’t.”
In response, the lawsuit claimed that the guards “fastened and tightened” the straps that restrained Smallwood. He was then taken to a “detox” holding cell. The suit continued: “Before shutting the door, guards heard him retching and moaning and saw him lose consciousness.”
According to the lawsuit, a nurse, described as “entry-level” with a “limited scope of license,” then rubbed Glenn Smallwood’s sternum to assess his responsiveness. He didn’t respond, so she used “smelling salts” to temporarily wake him up before leaving him in the holding cell alone.
Jail guards discovered Smallwood dead 15 minutes after the nurse left him alone.
According to the lawsuit, Smallwood suffered from schizoaffective disorder and was attempting to obtain a prescription medication from the Burke Center, a mental health facility where he had previously received treatment. While there, Smallwood was “in a state of active psychosis.” Recognizing the gravity of his condition, facility personnel attempted to have him “involuntarily transferred” to a hospital for inpatient care. But while they were completing the paperwork, Smallwood left the facility.
According to the lawsuit, Smallwood allegedly “self-medicated” with methamphetamine, which can “exacerbate the psychotic symptoms.”
The Burke Center had issued a mental health warrant for Smallwood, allowing authorities to find him and transport him to the hospital for treatment. When Lufkin authorities learned that Smallwood was “behaving bizarrely,” they responded to the scene — but instead of taking him to the hospital, they took him to jail.
Smallwood’s brother, John Smallwood, told McClatchy News that the jail guards “treated him worse than an animal.” He continued: “It’s disturbing to me that jail guards were joking and laughing when my brother was strapped in a chair, vomiting and losing consciousness.”
Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, whose lieutenant was present during Smallwood’s detention and is named in the suit, also provided an email statement to McClatchy News, saying that he “met with Mr. Smallwood’s family personally after he passed away and they are good people.” He continued: “I believe our attorneys would be disappointed in me if I made any statements regarding the case.”
Smallwood left behind three young children. His family is suing for compensatory and punitive damages.