Mother Of Army Veteran Who Died Of Drug Overdose In Clackamas County Jail Files Lawsuit

Medical staff and Clackamas County jail employees acted negligently toward a U.S. Army veteran in their custody who'd overdosed on methamphetamines and died in 2016, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

A Clackamas County Sheriff's Office employee recorded the video footage which was released by the sheriff's office Thursday. It shows 31-year-old Bryan Perry twitching and moving uncontrollably inside a padded high security cell while jail employees could be heard laughing about Perry's condition. The videos were released after the Oregonian/OregonLive filed a public records request for them.

"Look what I got for show and tell today," one of the employees is heard saying.

"And then one kid – 'that's my dad,'" another says in jest.

"I wish we could show this to his girlfriend like, 'you love this?'"

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts on Thursday called his employees' conduct "inappropriate" and "callous," saying disciplinary action has been taken. The Sheriff's office has not responded to questions about the nature of the disciplinary action and when such action was taken.

Perry, 31, was arrested on an outstanding warrant on Nov. 3, 2016. Deputies indicated Perry was booked into the jail at 7:15 p.m. while under the influence of meth and bath salts, according to the lawsuit.

Deputies described Perry "tweaking" and "thrashing around" uncontrollably. He became unresponsive at 11:15 p.m. He died of methamphetamine toxicity at 12:16 a.m. the next day at the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center.

Perry's mother, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, seeks compensatory damages from the county, Corizon Health Inc. and individuals for "failing to respond properly to the fact that Bryan Perry was overdosing on drugs."

Perry served in the U.S. Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was honorably discharged and received a Purple Heart. Investigative documents related to his death indicate Perry received treatment for PTSD.

"Compassionate treatment of those suffering from addiction and/or mental health issues is a cornerstone of our agency," said Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts in a statement. "Every day, in our jail and on the streets, our deputies encounter the hazards associated with drug addiction, and we have launched numerous initiatives to counter them – including our Residential Treatment program, CIT training, Behavioral Health Unit partnership, and counseling at the Transition Center and elsewhere."

"I expect our more than 500 employees to uphold the highest level of professionalism in their service," he said.