Casino, sheriff’s department settles wrongful death lawsuit
Reno NV Jan 5 2018 The father of a Reno man who died at the Washoe County Jail as deputies tried to free him from hog-tie restraints used by Reno police has settled part of his wrongful death lawsuit for $75,000, according to court documents obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Thomas Purdy, Jr., died in 2015, after he was arrested at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide by “complications of excited delirium,” a somewhat controversial ruling that describes a condition in which an individual suddenly dies following a period of extreme agitation and exertion brought on by a mental illness or illicit drug use.
Purdy’s father, Thomas Purdy, Sr., sued the Peppermill, the city of Reno and Washoe County in July, claiming officers and deputies used excessive force and showed deliberate indifference to Purdy’s medical needs.
Last month, Thomas Purdy, Sr., settled with the Peppermill for $50,000 and the city of Reno for $25,000. His lawsuit is proceeding against Washoe County because the two sides could not reach a settlement.
Representatives for the city of Reno and the Peppermill declined to comment on the settlement.
The actual settlement in federal court is sealed, and because the amount paid by the city of Reno is under $50,000 it doesn’t need to be approved in a public meeting. But court documents filed as part of Purdy’s estate management detailed the dollar amounts paid by Reno and the Peppermill.
According to court documents, the Lagomarsino Law firm, which represented Thomas Purdy, Sr., will be paid half the settlement proceeds. A Reno judge overseeing Purdy’s estate described the 50 percent contingency fee as “very uncommon in this jurisdiction and therefore does not reflect the customary fees in this community.”
Purdy’s death came amid a spike in in-custody deaths at the Washoe County Jail between 2015 and 2016. He was one of three inmates to die while being restrained by deputies.
An investigation into Purdy’s death by the Sparks Police Department found no criminal wrongdoing.
Still, the medical examiner ruled the actions of the law enforcement officers contributed to Purdy’s death.
Purdy, high on methamphetamine, began acting erratically at the Peppermill, where he as a frequent gambler. When security guards tried to evict him from the property, he simply ran back to the casino.
Ultimately, security guards detained him. Purdy struggled with the guards and Sparks investigators found a recording of one of the guards bragging that he had “dragged (Purdy) down the steps” outside of the casino.
Purdy continued to struggle with Reno police officers who arrived to arrest him for trespassing, according to the Sparks police report. To transport him to the jail, Reno officers connected his handcuffed hands to his handcuffed feet with a special strap to keep him from kicking.
Once at the jail, deputies had difficulty removing the strap. They pinned Purdy on his stomach and forced him to bend his legs up to provide enough slack in the strap to unhook it. Purdy stopped breathing during the process and never regained consciousness.
Since Purdy’s death both Reno police and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office have begun using a new device to restrain combative inmates. The “WRAP” allows bound inmates to sit up and breath more easily than other restraints.
