Detroit-area county to pay $7 million to family of man killed while jailed for drunken driving

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area county agreed to a $7 million settlement in the death of a man who was severely beaten by another man while in jail for a misdemeanor.

Separately, a federal prosecutor announced Monday that the Wayne County jail has agreed to improve how it serves people with disabilities and mental health needs.

“Wayne County has a long and troubled history of providing inadequate services to inmates who have disabilities,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.

Thomas Carr, 53, died a year ago after suffering severe head injuries while serving a brief sentence for drunken driving. He was attacked in his cell by a man who was being held on domestic violence charges and had a history of mental health problems.

Attorneys for Carr’s family said jail staff knew the cellmate was a risk but did not house him in a mental health unit or segregate him from others, The Detroit News reported.

At the time, the sheriff’s office, which operates the jail, said there was a “staffing emergency” in July 2023.

Wayne County will pay $5 million of the settlement and insurance will cover $2 million, spokesperson Doda Lulgjuraj said.

“Nobody should go in there for a misdemeanor and have it be a death sentence,” Carr’s sister, Virginia Adkins, said.

The federal government’s scrutiny of jail operations preceded Carr’s death. It had received complaints about a lack of access to medications, mental health services and medical equipment.

The jail has agreed to improve mental health services for all people who have disabilities, among other changes, the government said. The jail will be required to file progress reports and hire a consultant.

Wayne County attorney James Heath said in a statement that inmate health and safety is the jail’s “top priority.”