Boulder County has reached a $400,000 settlement in the lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged eight jail employees used excessive force against her in 2017 when they tasered her while she was being placed in a restraint chair.
Lauren Gotthelf filed the suit last year. She was arrested in 2017 she refused to sign a summons from Boulder police for smoking, littering and having her service dog on the Pearl Street Mall, according to previous 9News reporting.
Quoting the lawsuit, 9News reported that after she was booked into the jail, "deputies claimed Gotthelf 'expressed an intention to harm herself.'" Gotthelf denies ever making suicidal statements, according to the 9News story.
The county announced the settlement in Thursday news release, and stated as a result of the lawsuit, it has re-evaluated its policies and made the following changes:
-
Prohibiting the use of a conductive energy device, commonly known as a Taser, by a deputy while an individual is restrained in a restraint chair;
-
Requiring consultation with jail mental health staff before using a restraint chair to restrain a detainee, where possible;
-
Requiring the presence of jail medical or mental health staff to evaluate the need for suicide protocols regarding a detainee before implementing suicide protocols, where possible;
-
In-person mental health services will be available for detainees at all times (except that during the COVID pandemic, they may be provided through Telehealth means during nighttime hours); and
-
Additional mandatory training of deputies on these changes in policy, including deescalation and treatment of inmates and detainees with mental health concerns.
