An internal investigation into the death of a deaf Denver County Jail inmate found that a deputy made timely checks before the prisoner tried to hang himself.
A federal lawsuit filed this week by the mother of 23-year-old Shawn Francisco Vigil says that her son’s tier was not supervised and that a guard took a lengthy break at the time of the prisoner’s suicide attempt Sept. 27, 2005.
“We completed an investigation of this incident, and we found that the deputy involved was within policy,” said Denver Manager of Safety Al LaCabe. “He was making rounds within the required times.”
The lawsuit says jail personnel did not speak to her son in sign language to adequately assess his medical and mental health needs. It contends Vigil asked to speak to the jail’s administrative review board to air his concerns and was never given the opportunity.
“We think it’s tragic, and we try to do everything we can to avoid this happening,” LaCabe said of Vigil’s death. “For each one of these kinds of incidents, we look back and ask the question, ‘Can we do something differently or a little better?”‘
Jail policy says that if an inmate makes a request to see the administrative review board, the prisoner will be required to talk to the board even if there is a change of heart about making a complaint, LaCabe said.
Vigil, who was booked on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping and second-degree sexual assault, died Oct. 1, 2005, from injuries related to the hanging attempt.
In a separate lawsuit, an allegation that deputies failed to make adequate checks on inmates was made in the case of Emily Rae Rice, 24, who died in the city jail after a drunken-driving crash.
Rice had internal injuries that were missed during an initial exam at Denver Health Medical Center, and she bled to death in her cell Feb. 19, 2006.
An internal investigation in Rice’s case showed that two deputies did not make required visits to her wing and then falsified reports.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
