The suicide of a Clifton man who was left unchecked in a Greenlee County jail cell for nearly seven hours on 2018 led to a quick $750,000 payout to the man’s mother, but the settlement was contingent on Sheriff Tim Sumner and other county officials agreeing to make changes in detention policies, according to public documents.
William “Bobby” Scott worked as an engineer for Freeport-McMoRan at its Morenci facility and had recently purchased a $300,000 home for his mother, sister, and other family members at the time of his Oct. 12, 2018 death.
Scott, 32, was also on probation for a May 2017 felony offense in which he crashed his motorcycle while fleeing a Clifton police officer. On the afternoon of Oct. 11, the Clifton Police Department was asked by a probation officer to help search Scott’s home.
Several guns and drug paraphernalia were found, which constituted a probation violation as well as potentially new felony charges. Scott was arrested and booked into the Greenlee County jail where he was placed by himself in a single holding cell used to segregate inmates until they see a judge.
But before Scott arrived at the jail, at least one Greenlee County deputy was warned by Scott’s former girlfriend -who worked for the county- that Scott suffered from depression and might self-harm. The conversation was captured by the deputy’s bodycam, as was a statement by Scott that he had depression, for which he was taking medication.
For a variety of reasons uncovered during an internal investigation, Scott was not handled in accordance with the suicide prevention policy contained in the county’s detention manual. In fact, despite observation by a jail nurse of Scott’s depression, he was given a sheet and a jumpsuit before being placed alone in a cell that was not monitored by a camera.
The next morning, Scott was found hanging in his cell. It had been more than seven hours after the last sheriff’s employee checked on him in person. The autopsy report estimated Scott had been dead for a few hours.
In April 2019, Scott’s mother -as his statutory survivor- sought $7 million plus punitive damages from the county to resolve a notice of claim against several county officials and employees. A notice of claim is required 60 days before litigation can be initiated against a public entity.
One month later, the Arizona Counties Insurance Pool (ACIP), in conjunction with Sheriff Tim Sumner and the Greenlee County Attorney’s Office, settled with Scott’s mother for $750,000.
But the 2019 settlement included something else – a requirement that Greenlee County make specific changes to its detention operations and training protocols. Those changes were implemented within six months of the settlement, according to Greenlee County Attorney Jeremy Ford.
Since Scott’s death, there has not been a suicide in the county’s jail, says Sheriff Tim Sumner.
The sheriff recently provided a statement to Arizona Daily Independent about the changes made at his jail since Scott’s death. But first, he pointed out that no matter what efforts are taken to evaluate and intercede with an inmate, “there is no way to stop someone from an action they are set to accomplish.”
That said, Sumner noted he and his staff are committed to doing the best they can with what has become “a constant process” of reviews and improvements. Sumner said some of the changes were required by ACIP following Scott’s death, while other improvements were initiated within the sheriff’s office.
“The Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting lives and property, and to upholding the Constitutional rights of all people in Greenlee County,” he said. “Any inmate with suicidal tendencies is placed on special observation and provided appropriate level of medical care, observation, and interaction according to the new policy.”
Sumner explained there have been administrative changes at the jail, including annual training for all staff on how to recognize inmates who might self-harm and understand what to do in those situation. There are also new personnel in detention leadership positions and every inmate placed on suicide watch has their file audited by the Jail Commander.
And the county attorney is involved with regular audits of security camera footage and the jail’s electronic Guardian RFID tracking system to ensure employees are doing their jobs properly and inmate checks are being done accurately and on time.
Equally important, the sheriff noted, are the changes to what occurs when an inmate is first brought to the jail.
“An intake triage form was created to be utilized during the booking process to help identify potentially suicidal intakes,” Sumner explained. “Mental health services are now provided after a new contract with a mental health provider, who offers services to other jails and prisons. These services allow jail medical to schedule a mental health review for suicidal inmates as soon as possible with the provider to assess their needs and establish a continuity of care.”
There are now cameras in all of the holding and isolation cells, according to the sheriff, but the biggest change has been the addition of a special “safe cell” with enhanced safety features to limit an inmate’s access to items that can be used for self-harm. The cell is continually monitored by a camera.
“Suicide blankets and new smock gowns were purchased to have appropriate rip resistant equipment for inmates,” Sumner said. “Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils are no longer used since they were replaced with jail grade cups and sporks.”
The safe cell also has a better line of sight from the officer area and includes a call button, the sheriff noted.