Drunk-driving impact driven home for Red Jacket students

SHORTSVILLE — “Oh my god. What have you done?” screamed Elizabeth Maslyn, yelling outside the wreckage of a two-car accident in which a fellow Red Jacket High School student was “killed.”

Frantically screaming, walking around, bending over and putting her head in her hands, she realistically pleaded with emergency workers to save two other teens trapped in one of the cars during a mock demonstration of a fatal accident caused by underage drinking and driving.

The scene, played out in the parking lot of Red Jacket High School, included Maslyn and other student actors and real-life first responders, Ontario County sheriff’s deputies and state Supreme Court Justice Craig J. Doran, administrative judge of Seventh Judicial District.

“Impaired driving is the number-one cause of death for teens and young adults,” Deputy John Peck told about 100 students gathered in the school auditorium where the program started with a video of young people drinking and laughing at a party, opting not to call parents to pick them up, but to drive home on their own.

The video ended with a screech and faded to black, after which the students went outside where real fire engines, ambulances and first-responders tended to “accident victims” — one covered, indicating he had died.

The real Jaws of Life extraction tool was used to remove the roof of the smashed car containing the “body.” Nearby, Olivia Straub, a junior portraying an injured victim, was placed on a stretcher to be taken to a waiting helicopter while Deputy Joe DiMariano administered sobriety tests to Cal Case, a senior who portrayed the drunk driver under the fictional name Giovanni Rodriguez.

The body, played by senior Nate Lecceardone, was picked up by Kevin Henderson, a real county coroner who was to take it in a white hearse provided by Fuller Funeral Home.

The students, some visibly moved, returned to the auditorium where they first watched a video of the handcuffed Rodriguez being processed and placed in a cell to await arraignment. A sign on the wall reads, “Drive Drunk and Visit a Few More Bars.”

Peck, the school resource officer, reported Rodriguez had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.

Live actors then took the stage, sitting on a couch wondering why their son Nate had not yet come home when deputies knocked on the door to give them the tragic news.

The lights shifted to Doran and a juror in a courtroom where Rodriguez was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to the maximum penalty of five to 15 years in prison.

“One of the most difficult responsibilities for this court is having to impose sentence on a young person who, like you , has your whole life ahead of you,” Doran scolded Rodriguez, noting he also thinks about the families of the deceased and how their lives are forever torn apart.

Lecceardone then appeared in a cloud of smoke, dressed in black, telling students how he missed out on graduation, going to college and meeting his future wife.

“But most of all, I never had the chance to say goodbye,” he said. “I hope everyone can learn from this.”

Peck told the students such programs are presented with their safety in mind, as many are preparing to head off to college where they will likely face situations involving drinking or drug use.

“I hope this sends a message and you are very careful and don’t get yourselves in trouble,” Peck said. “I don’t want to come to your house and knock on your door and tell your parents you’ve been killed.”

Ontario County STOP-DWI Coordinator Sue Cirencione said the program is presented every year across Ontario County to get the message out.

“There’s nothing more impactful than hearing and seeing what could happen,” she said. “It’s a good thing for the students to understand their actions have an impact on this community, not just themselves.”

Red Jacket District Superintendent Charlene Dehn commended school and community participants for working together to send a powerful message to students about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Hopefully this experience will help our students make good decisions and understand the impact one poor decision can have on them, their family and friends for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Dehn also singled out Donna Schaertl, a volunteer, whom she said was instrumental in putting the program together and writing the scripts.

“I just want to prevent a family from going through what our family went through,” said Schaertl who lost a 4-year-old son in a drowning accident 19 years ago. The mother of six has three children attending school in the district.

“I just know what a tragedy feels like to a family, and I just want to prevent a family from going through what our family went through,” added Schaertl, who has turned her own tragedy into a mission to give back to the community.

By the numbers

54% Increase in the percentage of teens in high school who drink and drive

1 ... in 10 teens in high school drinks and drives

17 Number of times more likely young drivers (ages 16-20) are to die in a crash when they have a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent, the legal limit in New York and most states.

Source: mpnnow.com

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Driver’s ed teacher arrested for drunk driving

Sounds like this Florida driver’s ed teacher needs to go back to the basics.

William Harris, who is a Marion County High School driver’s education teacher, was arrested Saturday night for driving under the influence after a hit-and-run accident, WKMG reported. He was supposed to start classes on Monday, but has been placed on administrative leave.

Police said Harris, 42, rear-ended another vehicle with his pick-up truck and sped away from the scene. The other driver followed Harris and called 911.

“Basically [the other driver] gave us a play by play of where he was,” Ocala Police Department Capt. Lou Biondi told WKMG.

Officers were able to track down Harris and pulled him over.

“There were indicators that he had been drinking. He had some bloodshot eyes, they looked glassy, he had slurred speech and he admitted that he had been drinking,” Biondi said.

When asked how much he had been drinking, Harris reportedly told officers “not much.”

Harris, who is also the head coach of the Dunnellon High School football team, failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test.

He taken into custody at Marion County Jail. He faces charges for driving under the influence and hit-and-run causing bodily harm.

“If you’re an authoritative figure, a police officer, a teacher or something like that, and things like this happen, we’re all human. It does happen. But the public holds us to a higher standard and we’re supposed to be mentors,” Biondi said.  Source: nypost.com

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'Boss' dog that attacked 2 people not 'exceptionally dangerous,' owner argues

The owner of a dog that sent a young girl to hospital and attacked another person is fighting the city's decision to declare his pet "exceptionally dangerous" and have it put down.

Two complaints have been filed against Derek Forsyth's dog, Boss, in the past two years. The city's standing policy committee on protection, community services and parks will decide next week whether to uphold a previous ruling to declare Boss unsafe for the public.

On Aug. 30, 2015, Boss ran into a home and bit a young girl on the face and arm. The girl sustained lacerations, bled severely and was rushed to hospital due to the severity of her injuries, according to the city.

Hospital stays due to dog bites in Manitoba

The complainant in that case said it wasn't the first time they had heard of Boss attacking someone and they feared the dog would do it again.

And on April 29 of this year, Boss attacked another person who ended up hospitalized and is still battling a severe infection, according to the city.

The victim had to wrestle with Boss until someone in the area stepped in to help. The person was sent to hospital with puncture wounds to the hand, buttocks and inner thigh, as well as scratches to the elbow.

'Role model' dog

At a meeting with Winnipeg Animal Services Agency officials on May 4, Forsyth described Boss as a "role model" dog that isn't aggressive and can be safely let off leash "anytime."

The agency ruled in May that Boss be declared exceptionally dangerous under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw.

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"Derek showed no remorse for either victim, blaming the victims for their actions prior to getting attacked," Leland Gordon, chief operating officer with Animal Services Agency, wrote in a summary of that meeting.

"As a result of representations made to me, including multiple attacks with serious injuries, it is my finding that the subject dog is declared exceptionally dangerous and [should be] humanely euthanized."

In Forsyth's appeal of the decision, he wrote Boss "is not a dangerous dog."

"At this hearing I will bring as many [neighbours] that can make it and also family and friends," Forsyth's letter of appeal reads.

The standing policy committee on protection, community services and parks will be present at an appeal hearing on Monday. Source: cbc.ca

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Alabama man's face heavily scarred from dog bites sustained on a Delta Airlines flight

A Daphne, Alabama man who was severely injured by a Delta Airlines passenger's emotional support dog on on Sunday (June 4) night, has obtained legal representation.

The victim, Marlin Termaine Jackson, 44, had his attorney J. Ross Massey of Alexander Shunnarah & Associates release close-up images of his facial injuries on Thursday (June 8) afternoon.

The images show a large open wound under Jackson's right nostril and another open wound running along his right cheek.

Multiple dark scars can also be seen around his eyes and face.

Initial police reports stated that Jackson was bitten by a dog owned by, Ronald Kevin Mundy Jr. of Mills River, N.C.

All three were on a Delta Airlines flight leaving Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta headed to San Diego that night.

Officials from Delta Airlines said the flight was delayed as Jackson was transported to a local hospital and Mundy and his dog were escorted off the plane. 

Massey gave a more extensive narrative of the incident in the statement his legal office released.

According to the statement, Jackson was assigned a window seat on the left side of the plane. When he approached his aisle Mundy was sitting in the middle seat with his dog in his lap.

According to witnesses, the approximately 50-pound dog growled at Jackson soon after he took his seat. The dog continued to act in a strange manner as Jackson attempted to buckle his seat belt. The growling increased and the dog lunged for Jackson's face.

The dog began biting Jackson who could not escape due to his position against the plane's window. The dog was pulled away by Mundy, but broke free from his grasp and attacked Jackson a second time.

The attacks reportedly lasted 30 seconds and resulted in profuse bleeding from severe lacerations to Jackson's face. His injuries included a puncture through his lip and gum. Massey said the injuries required immediate transport, by an ambulance, to the emergency room of a local hospital. Jackson received 28 stitches and is presently awaiting consultation with a plastic surgeon.

He also added that Jackson's injuries will likely have permanent scarring.

Massey said that Mundy was moved to an alternate Delta Air Lines flight and his emotional support dog was placed in a kennel in the undercarriage.

Mundy, a military service member with the U.S. Marine Corps, told authorities that the dog, a chocolate lab pointer mix, was issued to him for support.

Delta Airlines website states that the company complies with the Air Carrier Access Act. It allows customers traveling with emotional support animals or psychiatric service animals to travel without charge.

The website states that a kennel is not required for emotional support animals if they are fully trained and meet the same requirements as a service animal.

Massey said his legal team is currently seeking information from Delta Air Lines regarding their compliance with policies for unrestrained larger animals within a plane's cabin. He also wants to see the verification process of their emotional support animal training requirements.

"It is troubling that an airline would allow a dog of such substantial size to ride in a passenger's lap without a muzzle," said Massey. "Especially considering the dog and its owner were assigned a middle seat despite Delta Air Lines' policies that call for the re-accommodation of larger animals."

At this time, a lawsuit has not been filed. Source: www. al.com

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Corfu mail carriers come up with dog warning system

Two dogs were enclosed behind a chain-link fence when a carrier arrived to deliver the mail.

When she opened the box to place the letters inside, both dogs hit the gate aggressively and it opened.

As the carrier fended off one dog, the other bit her. So she fended off the second canine, only to be bit again by the first.

A good Samaritan driving by saved her, beating the dogs off of her, until maintenance workers from a nursing home across the street also ran to her aid. In total the carrier would receive 22 bites all over her body, except one arm and her face.

“She missed a few years of work and is now on limited duty,” said Postmaster Michael Romaszko of the Corfu Post Office, recounting a story he heard from another postal worker in Buffalo. “This happened about six years ago, and she now suffers from PTSD. Just the sound of a dog barking affects her greatly, so she cannot deliver on the street at all.”

Dog bites are a general problem for mail carriers. A total of 82 dog attacks were reported last year in Western New York, compared to 69 in 2015.

Of those 82 incidents, there were two dog attacks in Albion and one in Arcade.

Although it isn’t a big problem in Corfu, Romaszko said he knew there were three dog bites last week in his district. So to address the dilemma, the Corfu Post Office team came up with the idea to combat the issues — a dog warning system.

The dog warning system comes in the form of small stickers on the mailboxes.

“What we have is a sticker, where if you are coming up to a house that might have a dog next door, you put a white sticker on (the mailbox),” Romaszko said. “If you got one at the house, but its not a bad dog — it just might be a sleeping dog — you put a sleeping sticker on, so they know to make noise so they don’t startle the dog and get bit. Or if we had problems with the dog in the past where they have an actual, ‘almost-got-bit’ kind of thing, we have an orange sticker for it.”

Romaszko said a lot of dog bites happen when a dog gets startled by a carrier.

Homeowners don’t need to volunteer information — mail carriers know where the dogs are on their route, and they’ll be the ones putting the stickers on the mailboxes. Romaszko described it as a team building project for the Corfu Post Office carriers, so everyone knows where the dogs are on the routes between the regulars and relief carriers.

“We’re trying to prevent everything,” he said. “We’re not only trying to prevent our carriers from getting hurt, but also trying to prevent any liabilities from the customers in an event there was a dog bite.”

Currently the program is only in Corfu, Darien and Pembroke, but if it goes well, it might expand. The Corfu Post Office started working on the project a month ago and everything was rolled out this week.

If any customer objects to having a paw sticker placed on their mailbox, they can call the Corfu Post Office at (585) 599-3101 or e-mail Michael.A.Romaszko@usps.gov, and the post office will remove it immediately.  Source: thedailynewsonline.com

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Maine police officer hurt in boating accident searching for missing person dies of injuries

FRYEBURG, Maine —

A Fryeburg police officer who was critically injured in a boating accident has died of his injuries.

Officer Nathan M. Desjardins, 20, died Tuesday at Central Maine Medical Center.

"In the course of a police officer's responsibilities, they expose themselves to very real risks and dangers every day. Members of the Fryeburg Police Department are deeply saddened by the tragic death of our colleague. We offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family, fellow colleagues and friends of Nathan," Chief Joshua Potvin said.

Desjardins was also a nursing student at the University of New England. In a statement, school President Danielle Ripich said they are deeply saddened about the news.

"Nate lost his life while working to save others in his duties as a Fryeburg police officer. It was his passion for helping people that made him a gifted nursing student, and he will always be part of the UNE family," Ripich said. "Our deepest condolences go out to his family.”

Desjardins and Officer Dale Stout were thrown from their boat on Memorial Day weekend while responding to the search for a missing canoer on the Saco River.

Strout was treated and released from a hospital. Desjardins suffered "intensive head trauma," according to a family statement at the time.

Desjardins was going into his senior year at the University of New England.

The body of the missing canoer, Jennifer Bousquet, 38, of South Berwick, was found a few days after the accident.

The Maine Warden Service is handling the crash investigation. Source: wcvb.com

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Ark. teen shares story of boating accident in hopes she can save lives

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- July 29 of last year was supposed to be normal day on the lake for Jodi Brashers, until a boater changed her life forever.

Brashers said she was swimming just a few feet from her friend's boat when she saw another boat headed straight towards her at about 50 miles per hour. She said the boat had no signs of stopping.

“When we saw it, we were yelling and waving," she recalled. "I was swimming towards our boat, and when I realized I couldn't make it to our boat, I went under water. I ran out of breath and my life jacket pulled me back up, and when I came out of the water, the boat hit me."

Her whole body was sliced open, and she thought she was going to die.

“When we got to the boat landing, I kept saying I'm dying get help."

Her heart stopped once on scene.

“They gave me CPR, and I came back alive. When I died I saw God and my dad. That's how I tell people God was with me, because my dad was standing there above me,” Brashers said.

Next thing she knew she was in Little Rock, then she blacked out again and woke up two weeks later in the hospital. She was fighting for her life, surgery after surgery. She was there for three months and one day until she was finally allowed to go home.

She was starting to cheer up, until life knocked her down yet again: the doctors told her that she would never be able to walk again. But, she said she was determined to prove them wrong.

She can now walk with the help of a walker or family member and hopes soon she won't need any help at all. It's been a yearlong battle in and out of the hospital. She’s undergone 35 surgeries and still has many more.

Brashers said she was saved for a purpose and that purpose is to share her story and spread awareness for boating safety.

“Accidents do happen whether it's in a car or in a boat,” she said.

Her first awareness post now has over 25,000 shares and more than 10,000 likes. She hopes her post not only brings awareness, but helps people going through hard times, hoping to show them they're not alone.

“Some days I look at my legs and think, Wow I'm covered in scars. But, I look at my scars like they're battle wounds. I won a war against a boat,” she said.

Brashers said what has helped her the most is telling herself she can do anything, but she just has to do it a little bit differently. Source: thv11.com

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Florida Leads Nation in Spike in Boating Accidents & Fatalities

With more than 11,000 miles of rivers, coastlines, and waterways, new U.S. Coast Guard data shows Florida leads the nation in boating accidents and boating deaths, a trend that has been growing in Florida and nationwide since 2013.

U.S. Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate First Class Michael Miller joins the show to discuss the growing rate of recreational boating accidents, the rising fatality rate, and the millions of dollars in associated property damage for such accidents. He'll also discuss safety measures boaters can take in Southwest Florida waters. Source: wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu

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Guilty pleas in drunk driving crash that killed two

A 31-year-old man admitted Thursday to being drunk behind the wheel last September when his car crashed into another vehicle, killing two men and seriously injuring two others.

Scott Altiman was driving his Dodge Charger when he crashed into a car and sent it flying.

The occupants of that car, 23-year-old Cody Andrews of New Hamburg and 46-year-old Jerry Pitre of London, died. The two other men in the car were seriously hurt.

Altiman pleaded guilty to eight charges including impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Altiman had more than twice the legal alcohol limit in his system and was driving at speeds of up to 187 km/h.

An open beer was also found in his car at the time of the crash.

Family and friends of the victims filled the London courtroom today, listening to the devastating details.

“I want my son back,” said Rose Imhoff, Pitre’s mother.

“I miss him so much, he was my life, he was my best friend, he was everything to me,” she said.

Altiman will be back in court on June 19 to set a date for victim impact statements and sentencing.

Source: kitchener.ctvnews.ca, With reporting by Krista Simpson

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Beginning Nov 1st, ALL drunk drivers are required to install ignition interlock

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (KWTV)- A new law signed by Governor Mary Fallin will require all first-time drunk driving offenders to install an ignition interlock on their vehicle as a condition of driving after a drunk driving offense. The law requires the use of interlocks for at least six months to regain driving privileges.

The legislation also creates the Impaired Driver Accountability Program (IDAP) to help first-time offenders get their lives back on track and regain full driving privileges.

“Oklahoma now joins Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Missouri and other surrounding states in providing its residents with the best countermeasure to stop the scourge of repeat drunk driving,” said Colleen Sheehey-Church, National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). 

The new law takes effect November 1st. Oklahoma is the 29th state to pass the all-offender ignition interlock law. Information provided by KWTV.  Source: kswo.com

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Man admits to ‘a horrible wrong,' gets prison for deadly drunk driving crash

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - A Lowell man responsible for a deadly drunk driving accident that killed a grandfather of 17 apologized for his actions Thursday before being sentenced to prison for the November crash in eastern Kent County.

“Words cannot truly express my sorrow and remorse,’’ Michael Ray Hoogewind said. “Every day is a struggle knowing there is nothing I can do to right it; right a horrible wrong.’’

Hoogewind, 32, earlier pleaded no contest to causing the crash while driving with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.

The Nov. 9 crash in Kent County’s Grattan Township killed David A. Cliff of Greenville, who was on his way to work. He died at the scene.

Several family members attended the sentencing dressed in T-shirts bearing Cliff’s picture.

“Dad was the patriarch of the family,’’ Cliff’s son, Dustin Johnson, told the court. “He was the glue that kept everyone together. All we have are pictures, memories and an urn with his ashes to remember him by.’’

He urged Hoogewind to use his time in prison to make a positive change.

“Your actions from here on out will define your legacy,’’ Johnson said. “Hopefully you take initiative to change. Your greatest opportunity is now. Hope you find the courage and make the best of it.’’

Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber sentenced Hoogewind to between six and 20 years in prison.

“If there could be any good, perhaps it will serve as a deterrence to everyone who understand and appreciate the importance of sober driving and never getting behind the wheel when one’s affected by alcohol,’’ Leiber told Hoogewind.

“In that regard, perhaps the pain that the Cliff family feels, the pain that your family feels, will somehow have a purpose,’’ Leiber said.

Hoogewind pleaded no contest March 28 to operating with a high blood alcohol content causing death with a prior conviction. The felony is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Family members say Cliff, a devoted father of five and grandfather of 17, worked as a supervisor at Mollers North America Inc. on 52^nd Street SE. He and his wife of 26 years lived in Greenville.

Cliff was traveling south on Lincoln Lake Avenue when the 5:51 a.m. accident occurred. Hoogewind, who was heading west on Six Mile Road, ran a stop sign and struck Cliff’s Pontiac Grand Am in the driver’s side door.

The impact caused Cliff’s vehicle to roll; he died at the scene. Hoogewind, who was driving a 2006 Saab, was treated for minor injuries.

His blood alcohol level registered at .23 percent, according to court records. The threshold for drunken driving is .08 percent.

A Kent County deputy detected the odor of alcohol on Hoogewind, who admitted that he'd been drinking, court records show.

It is not his first alcohol-related offense. He was arrested in Kent County in Dec. 2010 for driving with a blood alcohol level of .17 percent or more. Hoogewind's driver's license was suspended in March, 2011 for a year, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's Office.

His license was not reinstated until 2013 due to violations tied to the drunk driving conviction, state records show. Source: wzzm13.com

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Dead toddler’s horrified mom blames owners of ‘dilapidated’ Compton building in broken door lawsuit

A Compton woman whose 22-month-old daughter was run over by a pickup truck driven by her mother’s boyfriend sued her landlords Thursday, alleging their failure to fix the front door of the home they rented to the plaintiff allowed the toddler to open it by herself just before she was killed.

“The owners of the building knew about the broken door and refused to remedy the condition,” plaintiff Elizabeth Moreno alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Pedro and Rosa Alvarado over the loss of Moreno’s daughter, Natalia Trinidad.

The Alvarados could not be immediately reached for comment on the suit, which seeks unspecified damages on allegations of wrongful death and negligence.

The toddler died at the scene of the accident, which occurred shortly after 10 p.m. last June 26 in the 600 block of North Willow Avenue.

When homicide detectives arrived, they learned that the mother’s boyfriend was not aware her child followed him outside of the home when he was backing his pickup truck out of the driveway, sheriff’s Deputy Lisa Jansen said then. “As he was backing his truck out, he felt the truck run over an unknown object.”

Jansen said the driver, whose name was withheld, “did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” and there were “no obvious signs of foul play.”

According to the lawsuit, the property where Moreno lived with her daughter “was in a complete state of dilapidation,” with the living area linked “by an improperly, illegally and recklessly enclosed patio area.”

The patio had a front door that was “broken and unfit for use,” according to the complaint. “As a result … Natalia was able to push open the dangerous door and walk into the driveway … where she was struck by a reversing automobile, causing her major crush trauma eventually resulting in her death.”

The driveway also was in such poor condition that it violated the Compton municipal code, the suit alleges.

Moreno, realizing that her daughter walked away from her, went outside after hearing the truck and saw the child under the vehicle, the suit says.

“Rushing to her daughter, she watched as the life left the 1-year-old,” the suit states.

Source: mynewsla.com

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving moving forward with mural plan to raise awareness

SAN ANTONIO – Over the last year, the San Antonio Police Department has responded to 553 DWI crashes.

Due to the high numbers, the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants to bring the numbers down to zero simply with a mural.

“It just takes literally a moment to change lives,” says Aziza Salama, a mother of two.

Salama says she will never forget the night she lost her fiance’ Johnny Hernandez in a wrong-way wreck.

The driver who hit them had been drinking.

“He would probably be very proud and very happy to try and move forward,” says Salama.

She's now a member of MADD.

The group is now designing a mural to be displayed of I-10 and Colorado to share the message.

“It creates a conversation people drive by that particular location and we want people to be aware on a daily basis,” adds Salama.

County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, Precinct 3, says he is favor of the efforts.

“It's another way to reach out and bring attention to a very difficult situation,” says Wolff.

Last July, Wolff was arrested for driving while intoxicated after hitting two cars in a fast food parking lot.

“That will resonate with me for the rest of my life. For me the biggest part is how much I feel I left my family down my wife, my daughter,” adds Wolff.

The commissioner says there is no excuse and there is help for everyone out there.

“There is no excuse today that you're not able to call a taxi, an Uber, a Lyft, a friend.”

Salama says it’s a fight to save others.

“Just because this horrible tragedy has happened to me doesn't necessarily mean that's it...that's the end of the day,” adds Salama.  Source: foxsanantonio.com

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Federal Suit Filed in Wake of Officer’s Death - Was Gasconade County Deputy

The family of a former Gasconade County deputy who hanged himself while jailed on sexual assault charges filed in a federal wrongful death suit.

The Associated Press reported that the wife of Marty Rainey and her children filed the wrongful death suit Friday, June 2, in federal court. The suit alleges that Ste. Genevieve County Jail officials deprived the former Gasconade County deputy of his right “to be protected from known risks of suicide.”

Rainey died March 25, 2016, in his cell after hanging himself. The coroner’s report says Rainey made a noose out of a torn sheet tied to a “bolt on a hook in his cell.”

Rainey was accused of sexually abusing women and enticing a minor into prostitution.

Rainey also had worked as a police officer in Hermann and Rosebud.

He was being held awaiting trial on a series of state and federal charges involving a series of sexual assaults on women and one 17-year-old girl.

The suit names the county and various officials. A lawyer for the defendants declined to comment, the AP reported.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Rainey, who was suffering from PTSD and had been deemed a suicide risk by federal court staffers, was not given a proper mental health screening, was not allowed out of the “extreme isolation” of his cell for exercise and recreation and was not checked on as spelled out in regulations, the suit says.

The county and various officials are named in the suit.

Jail staff discovered him the next morning.

Rainey had been placed in a holding cell by himself, for his own protection.

Rainey died March 25, 2016, in his cell after hanging himself with a torn sheet attached says.

 Source: emissourian.com

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