Nevada Department of Corrections is sued over man's death days before his scheduled release

A Las Vegas man's household has filed a wrongful-death suit against the Nevada Department of Corrections aft helium was killed conscionable days earlier his release

LAS VEGAS -- A Las Vegas man's household filed a wrongful-death suit Friday against the Nevada Department of Corrections aft helium was killed conscionable days earlier his scheduled merchandise from prison.

The suit alleges the section defied protective custody rights and housed Jacob Herman, 35, with different antheral who had repeatedly threatened Herman's beingness astatine High Desert State Prison, 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas.

This is not the lone suit the section has been deed with successful caller years. In September, Nevada agreed to wage $4.6 million to settee a suit that accused situation guards of beating up a antheral and leaving him to die successful 2023.

Herman’s household contends that “systemic overcrowding, understaffing and disregard for protective-custody safeguards” led to Herman’s death, according to the ailment filed successful Clark County District Court.

“Through this action, Mr. Herman’s household seeks accountability successful the anticipation that nary different household endures specified a nonaccomplishment wrong Nevada’s correctional system,” the ailment states.

The Department of Corrections declined to comment, citing the progressive litigation. A unit shortage has been a well-known occupation successful the department, which pointed to the contented arsenic a crushed for hold successful completing changes recommended by a authorities audit finished successful March 2022.

Herman pleaded blameworthy successful 2023 to larceny and was sentenced to a maximum word of 36 months, according to tribunal records.

Herman was expected to beryllium housed successful protective custody but was alternatively housed with a cellmate the suit referred to arsenic “King,” an alias. The cellmate was serving a beingness condemnation for homicides, robbery, kidnapping and intersexual assault, according to the lawsuit.

The household believes King told corrections officers helium would termination Herman if Herman was enactment successful his cell, and connected July 16, the cellmate informed corrections officers that helium killed Herman, the suit said.

The household argues that the warden, who besides was named arsenic a suspect successful the lawsuit, and different corrections officers violated Herman's civilian rights by understaffing the portion Herman was successful and failing to find and region contraband that was utilized to termination him.

Herman's household is asking for astatine slightest $15,000 successful damages.

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