Wife plans to sue over husband's jail death

The wife of a man who died in the El Paso County sheriff's custody Nov. 10 plans to sue over jailers' alleged "negligence and carelessness" and "extreme and outrageous conduct."

Georgeanna Howard of Fountain submitted a notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, last month seeking more than $300,000 in the death of her husband, Bruce Raymond Howard.

Meanwhile, the coroner's report said Howard died of a heart attack possibly aggravated by chronic alcoholism.

Howard, 67, was arrested Nov. 7 by the Fountain Police Department and booked into the Criminal Justice Center on suspicion of third-degree assault, harassment and obstruction of telephone/telegraph service, the Sheriff's Office said. Fountain police have refused to release the police report.

The next Monday, he was in a holding cell at the courthouse about 12:40 p.m. when he became ill. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1:33 p.m.

According to the claim, Howard was "extremely ill" the previous weekend.

"This condition was relayed to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office personnel by at least two inmates, and adequate medical treatment was not provided," the claim said.

At the courthouse, monitoring systems failed to alert deputies, the claim alleged. An emergency button and a video monitor in the cell were not working or were ignored, the claim said. Nor did sheriff's personnel respond to "frantic yelling" of the inmates who were with Howard, the claim said.

After he collapsed, an inmate performed CPR, but his heart had stopped by the time officials arrived, according to the claim letter.

Howard's wife is seeking $150,000 for "negligence and carelessness," $150,000 for loss of companionship and an unnamed amount for "extreme and outrageous conduct" by sheriff's employees.

Sheriff's Lt. Lari Sevene said the department's investigation is pending.

County Attorney Bill Louis didn't comment on the claim.

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Contact the writer: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com