Controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio is heading back to court to face civil claims that he and his deputies stressed out a mentally ill inmate and were partially responsible for his fatal heart attack.
This case revolves around Maricopa County's policy of making prisoners wear pink underwear, ostensibly to prevent theft. It is going to court after the 9th Circuit agreed last week to a retrial.
Schizophrenic inmate Eric Vogel was arrested in 2001 for assaulting a police officer. He struggled with officers at the time, shouted "kill me," and said he needed to talk to the president, according to the Ninth Circuit's opinion.
But before he could be transferred to a psychiatric facility, officers undressed Vogel and forced him to change into pink underwear and jailhouse clothes, the Ninth Circuit opinion stated.
The "dress-out" caused Vogel to think he was being prepared for a jailhouse gang rape, his relatives claim. He was eventually released.
Vogel ran into police again a short time later when his mother got into a car accident. He left the scene of the accident and ran for about five miles before dying the next day from acute cardiac arrhythmia, according to the Ninth Circuit's opinion.
DON'T MISS: TV Documentary Points A Finger At Nicole Simpson's 'Real Killer' >
Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
