[WATCH] Family Of Mentally-Ill Denver Man Killed By Cops Gets $4.6 Million Settlement

November 4th, 2017

Awake Goy

Nearly two years after Michael Marshall was killed by Denver deputy sheriffs at the downtown jail, the city has agreed to pay his family $4.65 million. But because Marshall was schizophrenic, the family insisted that new policies be put in place to train officers on how to deal with mentally ill inmates.

They hope that the “Michael Marshall Rules” will ensure that no other inmate sees a similar fate.

A Two-Pronged Approach

Family attorney Darold Killmer said that equipping the department with the tools and resources needed to support inmates with mental health issues can prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening.

“If there would have been this type of mental health expertise at the jail the night that Michael Marshall was here, he very well could be alive today,” Killmer said at Wednesday’s press conference.

“The number of lives that this measure alone will save in the future is uncountable, but it’s certain to make an impact.”

The measure calls for the hiring of two on-site mental health providers by Jan. 1 to service the Downtown Detention Center and County Jail around the clock.

Deputies will now also be required to undergo training on mental illness in the jail population as well as how to handle mentally ill inmates–including when to use force.

What Went Wrong With Marshall?

In Marshall’s case, the 50-year-old man had been arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace, as reported by the Denver Post.

While in custody on a $100 bond, jail video showed him in an agitated state attempting to leave the area where he had been detained. One of the deputies grabbed Marshall while five others climbed on top of him to subdue him, thus suffocating him. He choked on his own vomit and had to be hospitalized.

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