Crime & Safety

Family May Sue Indiana Sheriff's Dept. After Northbrook Man Died In Custody

A lawyer representing Sanjay Patel, who died in police custody, is considering suing Henry County in Indiana.

A lawyer representing the estate of a Northbrook man who died while in Indiana prison may sue the sheriff's department that held him in custody.

According to The Star-Press of Muncie, IN, attorney Stephen Wagner is considering a wrongful death lawsuit for the estate of Sanjay Patel, 34, who died while in custody of the Henry County Sheriff's Department and while suffering from alcohol withdrawal.

Patel was arrested on Nov. 22, 2010, on charges of driving under the influence, The Star-Press reports. He had a blood alcohol content of .24, which is three times the legal limit, Henry County Sheriff Butch Baker told The Star-Press. 

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Patel was treated at Henry County Memorial Hospital Nov. 24, then sent back to jail. On Nov. 27, jail staff found him "in a state of stupor," according to Baker. He was taken to Henry County Memorial Hospital, where he later died that same day. 

Wagner maintains that jail staff ignored obvious signs that something was wrong, The Star-Press reports, while Baker told the newspaper that his staff followed proper procedure. 

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