Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Family agrees to $500,000 settlement in Reno jail death

SALT LAKE CITY — The family of a man who died during a struggle with deputies at a northern Nevada jail has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit for $500,000.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reported Thursday the Washoe County Commission is set to vote next week on the settlement reached with the parents of 35-year-old Justin Thompson.

Authorities say Thompson, who suffered from bipolar disorder, died after a 30-minute struggle with deputies after being arrested in 2016.

Thompson's cause of death was listed as homicide due to complications of physical restraint.

It's the second lawsuit filed in connection with a two-year spike in jail deaths the newspaper chronicled in an investigation.

The county paid $75,000 in the death of Niko Smith, who was pinned to the floor after a suicide attempt in 2015.