Arkansas county reaches $3 million settlement in response to detainee’s 2021 jail death

In western Arkansas, the Sebastian County Quorum Court has agreed to a $3 million settlement with the family of Larry Eugene Price Jr., who passed away due to dehydration and malnutrition while in the county jail. The unanimous decision was made on Tuesday without discussion. Price, 51, had been awaiting trial for a terroristic threatening charge and had a history of severe mental illness. He spent over a year in solitary confinement at the facility before his death in 2021.

The lawsuit filed against Sebastian County alleged that Price was neglected by the jail and its medical provider, leading to significant weight loss from 185 pounds to 90 pounds over the course of a year. It was claimed that Price’s constitutional rights were violated during his time at the jail. In response to the lawsuit, a settlement conference was requested by all parties involved.

Oklahoma-based Turn Key Health Clinics, the medical provider for the jail, is also reported to have entered into a settlement agreement. Price’s mental health medications were reportedly discontinued by jail staff after he refused to take them, with no further efforts made to address his mental health needs. Inspections of the jail over the years identified issues such as overcrowding, understaffing, and inadequate facilities at the county jail.

Price was arrested in 2020 after making threatening gestures towards officers at the Fort Smith Police Department. At the time of his arrest, Price, who also had a developmental disability, was homeless. Neither the county attorney nor the attorney for the Price family provided comments following the settlement approval.