Judge dismisses lawsuit brought after Norman baker Shannon Hanchett died in custody

A federal lawsuit filed in January against the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Turn Key Health Clinics and three medical professionals for allegedly contributing to the death of beloved Norman baker Shannon Hanchett, 38, has been dismissed.

In Oklahoma City federal court, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones dismissed the lawsuit, but allowed 21 days from Aug. 19 for an amended complaint to be filed.

In part, Jones found there were not alleged sufficient facts showing medical staff were "deliberately indifferent to Ms. Hanchett’s serious medical needs."

Attorneys for both sides could not be reached for comment Monday.

The lawsuit was filed by Daniel Hanchett, widower of Shannon Hanchett, a mother of two who died Dec. 8, 2022 in the Cleveland County jail.

Why was Norman 'Cookie Queen' Shannon Hanchett arrested?

Shannon Hanchett was affectionately known as the Cookie Queen as she ran a bakery in downtown Norman.

She was arrested at an AT&T store on Nov. 26, 2022, on a complaint of misdemeanor obstruction and false reporting. At the time of her arrest, Hanchett was exhibiting behavior police described as "consistent with some type of mental health disorder," court records showed.

Video released by Norman police showed nearly 18 minutes of dialogue between a responding officer and Hanchett. Parts of the video were redacted. At the time, a police spokeswoman issued a statement saying certain elements of the audio were not subject to public release.

The police officer maintained a calm demeanor throughout the audible portions of the video. Hanchett suggested in at least one portion of the video her children may be in danger. The police officer repeatedly told her there would be a welfare check made at her house, but that he was going to have to arrest her for misusing 911 services.

The officer stayed with Hanchett in the store until a second officer arrived, when the pair handcuffed and arrested Hanchett.

Police said other officers completed a welfare check on Hanchett's family and "found them to be safe without need of assistance."

Aside from an initial arraignment in front of a Cleveland County Court judge on Nov. 28, it is unclear what else happened with Hanchett during her time at the jail, or why she did not post bond before her death ahead of a scheduled court date of Dec. 14.

During booking, Hanchett told jail staff she suffered from bipolar disorder and lupus.

According to the lawsuit, medical staff did not evaluate Hanchett for more than 72 hours after arriving at the jail and did not administer any psychotropic medications.

While medical staff reported that Hanchett displayed suicidal ideation and was severely dehydrated, jailers routinely missed 15-minute sight checks required under state law .

What happened with Shannon Hanchett at the Cleveland County jail?

On Dec. 7, 2022, jail staff found Hanchett unresponsive on the floor of her jail cell. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and Hanchett was pronounced dead about 1 a.m. on Dec. 8.

A state medical examiner’s report determined Hanchett died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to an atrial septal defect of the heart.  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heart defect that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood, according to the Mayo Clinic .

Other significant conditions contributed to Hanchett's death, including coronary artery disease; hepatic steatosis, or fatty liver disease; dehydration with a kidney condition called uremic azotemia; and psychosis with auditory and visual hallucinations, a pathologist found.

The medical examiner concluded Hanchett’s manner of death was “natural.”

Still, two former high-ranking Cleveland County jail officials resigned a month later amid public outcry toward the jail . Spokespeople for the sheriff's office said there were no reasons given for the resignations at the time.

The lawsuit claimed Turn Key Health Clinics’ contract with the Sheriff’s Office disincentivized staff from seeking more urgent care.

In previous interviews, Hanchett’s friends told The Oklahoman the autopsy report only heightened the need for further scrutiny of the jail and its treatment of detainees .

“While she may have died of ‘natural causes,’ there is nothing to indicate the Cleveland County Detention Center did anything to provide proper medical care for Shannon,” Kate Bierman , co-owner of Norman’s Yellow Dog Coffee and a close friend of Hanchett, previously told The Oklahoman. “She was experiencing a mental health crisis that the detention center was not equipped to be treating.”

At the time of her death, Hanchett was the owner of Okie Baking Co., formerly located in the historic cottage on Norman's Main Street .

She worked in the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for more than a decade before her autoimmune diagnosis of lupus, which prompted her to leave her career in children's behavioral health and pursue a long-held dream of her own bakery business.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Judge dismisses lawsuit brought after Norman baker Shannon Hanchett died in custody