BRAINERD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Crow Wing County Jail is accused of "deliberate indifference" in a wrongful death lawsuit after an inmate died by suicide shortly after being arrested for a DWI.
Robert Arthur Slaybaugh, 57, was found dead in his cell after disclosing multiple mental health issues while being processed at the jail.
READ MORE: Man booked into Crow Wing County Jail for DWI dies in cell
Suicide inside Crow Wing County Jail
Image taken from a wrong death lawsuit shows a ligature point used by an inmate to commit suicide. (Supplied)
Big picture view:
The lawsuit states Slaybaugh was arrested around 6:13 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2024, for suspected DWI and was brought to the jail while "severely intoxicated" with a 0.282 blood alcohol concentration.
He then told jail staff that he suffered from anxiety, sleeping disorders and survived a prior suicide attempt about six months earlier.
Despite this, Slaybaugh was placed in general population, which the lawsuit says did not meet Slaybaugh's medical needs.
READ MORE: Jail suicides raise questions about mental health treatment behind bars
The civil complaint names Corrections Officer Anderson as a jail staff official who allegedly "ignored state legal mandates regarding monitoring inmates" and placed him in a cell with bedsheets and other items that could be used for self-harm.
The lawsuit also cites a Department of Corrections document that emphasized the danger posed by ligature points within the jail cell, which said "Based on the number of [suicide] attempts in a short time span, the bunks at the facility are deemed a safety hazard and an unsafe condition for inmates with mental health concerns."
Slaybaugh was found hanging from his bunk, unresponsive, at 8:52 p.m., just 61 minutes after being placed in his cell. He was pronounced dead at 9:28 p.m. His death was ruled a suicide.
What's next:
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and is aiming for a money judgement of $75,000 for each of the three counts listed in the complaint.
Those counts accuse Anderson of violating Slaybaugh's 14th amendment rights, Crow Wing County of facilitating practices that led to those violations, and jail staff of ultimately causing Slaybaugh's wrongful death.
The other side:
FOX 9 has reached out to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office for a response and will update this story if one is received.
Past Crow Wing County Jail incidents
Dig deeper:
The lawsuit adds that five different inmates attempted to commit suicide between May 2019 and May 2022 using the ligature points, and that a total of 13 inmates attempted suicide at the jail between 2017 and 2022.
The Source: This story uses information shared in a civil lawsuit alleging wrongful death.