A lawsuit alleges that the city of Henderson failed to provide adequate supervision and should have intervened sooner to prevent the 2024 death of a Henderson Detention Center inmate who died by suicide.
Jaime Chrusch, 36, died on Dec. 6, 2024, six days after he was arrested and booked into the Henderson jail on suspicion of domestic violence, according to a complaint filed Aug. 17 in District Court.
The lawsuit, filed by Chrusch’s daughter and her mother, says Chrusch concealed himself under a blanket issued by the jail and placed a cord from a nearby wall-mounted phone around his neck, drawing it tight while in a holding cell in the facility’s observation area on Nov. 30, 2024.
The lawsuit said the cord was hidden from view by the blanket but that Chrusch’s movements were “consistent with a detainee manipulating and applying the cord to his neck.”
Chrusch’s position in the holding cell should have been visible from a nearby walkway and jail employee workstations, according to the complaint. Two detention officers walked past Chrusch while he was beneath the blanket before a third officer entered the holding cell and saw Chrusch’s condition, the complaint says.
The third officer called for emergency medical services for Chrusch, who, according to the complaint, was found on the floor of the holding cell, not breathing. Chrusch was taken to a local hospital, where he was determined to have suffered a “catastrophic and irreversible” brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen.
The Clark County coroner’s office ruled Chrusch’s death a suicide. The hanging occurred at the Henderson Detention Center and Chrusch died at Henderson Hospital, according to the coroner’s office.
“By the time emergency services were summoned, the delay had become fatal,” the complaint said. “Defendants knew or in the exercise of reasonable care should have recognized the emergency and intervened in time to prevent Decedent’s death.”
The Henderson Detention Center is operated by the Henderson Police Department. Henderson’s public information office said in an email that the city does not comment on pending litigation.
Lawyer: Inmate’s family seeking answers
The lawsuit alleges the city failed to properly train, supervise, monitor and direct detention personnel on detainee self-harm, ligature hazards and the safe use of telephone equipment in a detention setting.
The suit also accuses the city of failing to provide continuous detainee monitoring and failing to recognize that the corded phone presented a strangulation risk. It also alleges that the telecommunications contractors, product manufacturers and service providers that provided and installed the phone are liable.
Plaintiffs are seeking general and special damages each in excess of $15,000, as well as punitive and exemplary damages to be determined at trial.
Jared Richards, an attorney representing Chrusch’s family, said Wednesday in a phone interview that the case is also about raising awareness about suicide risks early in detention and learning more about Chrusch’s final hours.
“His family would like answers to the question about how this happens in an environment that is designed so that it shouldn’t,” Richards said. “Suicide is a substantial risk in the first hours of detention. Detention centers know this.”
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If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X.
