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TACOMA, Wash. — A Washington State Patrol trooper arrested a lady on suspicion of drunken driving when she was truly experiencing a life-threatening mind bleed and booked her into jail the place officers mocked her as a substitute of getting her medical consideration, in accordance with a civil rights lawsuit.
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The federal lawsuit filed Feb. 1 in Tacoma says Nicole McClure was booked into Thurston County Jail on March 21, 2022, the place she lay on a cell ground for a day earlier than receiving medical consideration, The Seattle Instances reported.
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Medical doctors later eliminated a part of her cranium to alleviate strain constructing inside her mind from a frontal-lobe subdural hematoma, in accordance with the lawsuit.
“Nicole suffers from extreme traumatic mind damage and stays unable to take care of herself or interact with life in significant methods,” McClure’s legal professional, Anne Vankirk, mentioned in an announcement. “Had Nicole obtained fast medical consideration, her situation would have been considerably simpler to deal with and the result far much less extreme.”
In line with the lawsuit, dash-camera video and arrest studies, Trooper Jonathan Barnes tried to cease McClure after he observed her driving too slowly and wandering out of her lane. McClure, then 38, had complained of a headache and dizziness and was headed dwelling from work early, in accordance with the lawsuit.
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Barnes flashed his emergency lights to provoke a cease, however McClure stored slowly driving till she collided with a visitors roundabout, disabling her automobile, the lawsuit mentioned.
Barnes approached together with his gun pointed at McClure, yelling for her to get out of the automobile, dash-camera video exhibits. The video exhibits Barnes pushed her onto his car hood to handcuff her whereas accusing her of eluding police.
The video additionally recorded Barnes repeatedly asking McClure if she was on medicine or had been ingesting. “When’s the final time you used meth?” he asks. “When was the final time you used heroin?”
“I haven’t … I don’t,” she mentioned, in accordance with the video. “I’m confused. I feel I’m drained.”
Barnes arrested McClure on suspicion of intoxicated driving and felony evading. The lawsuit alleges the trooper additionally didn’t name medics to the scene, regardless of the car crash, and took her to a hospital for a blood draw, the filings allege.
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Barnes didn’t inform hospital workers that McClure had been in a crash, the lawsuit says. The filings additionally declare that in his written report, the trooper crossed out a bit detailing a collection of well being and medical questions, printing “Didn’t ask” throughout the strikeout.
After the blood draw — which the lawsuit says later confirmed McClure had no medicine or alcohol in her system — Barnes took her to the Thurston County Jail.
Chris Loftis, a state patrol spokesperson, mentioned the company is conscious of the lawsuit however doesn’t touch upon pending litigation. He mentioned Barnes wasn’t disciplined. A name from The Related Press to the state patrol union looking for remark from Barnes was redirected to Loftis.
The lawsuit alleges that McClure obtained no medical consideration on the jail for over 24 hours regardless of her asking for assist, vomiting, and her incapability to face up.
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“Nicole recollects being laughed at and instructed she ought to ‘Have one other shot,”‘ which she took as a taunting reference to the idea that she was drunk, not sick, Vankirk mentioned.
Hours later McClure was taken to a hospital, the place she underwent emergency mind surgical procedure and was hospitalized for 17 days, in accordance with Vankirk.
Tara Tsehlana, a spokesperson for the Thurston County Prosecuting Lawyer’s Workplace, which defends the jail, mentioned the county has been served with the lawsuit.
“Whereas we will’t focus on the specifics of any pending litigation, I can verify that the security of inmates, workers, and most people stays a high precedence for the Thurston County Corrections Facility,” she mentioned.
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