JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The family of a man who died in the Jefferson County Jail filed a federal lawsuit against the detention center and its contracted medical care company VitalCore, claiming medical indifference toward the 76-year-old, who had Parkinson's disease and dementia.
The lawsuit claims reckless medical indifference toward James Purdy, after he died of injuries from repeated falls as a result of his Parkinson's disease and dementia, which was ignored by medical and corrections staff.
Denver7 reached out to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for a response to the claims.
"Based on pending litigation, we’re not able to provide additional comments or context to this story," a representative for the sheriff's office said.
According to the family's attorneys — Killmer Lane, LLP — the jail didn't administer important medications to Purdy that he took for both his Parkinson's and dementia diagnoses, making him vulnerable to falls and injuries. The detention center destroyed video surveillance footage for the first 15 days of his jail stay, the attorneys said in a news release. The remaining footage shows more than 70 falls from July 10 through 18, 2023, but records only reported a total of four falls, according to the lawsuit.
Purdy was taken to the hospital to treat open wounds and bruises from those falls, the news release said, but he developed sepsis and meningitis a few days later. Sepsis happens when the infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing the organs to work poorly. Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Purdy's family alleged the Jefferson County Detention Facility violated the U.S. and Colorado Constitutions, in addition to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The 76-year-old was an honorably discharged Army veteran, according to his family. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011 and was first arrested on April 9, 2023 after a woman filed a police report against him. The woman said she had a frightening interaction with Purdy, according to the lawsuit, but the document did not go into specifics.
When Purdy was initially arrested in April, lawyers said he was confused and needed help from his wife and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies to put on his shoes and pants. Officers completed what's called a "book through," where Purdy was logged in the judicial system and released the same day. The arresting deputy drove Purdy back home afterward and released him back into his wife's care.
However, another investigator later followed through on a warrant for Purdy's arrest and he was then arrested again on June 25, 2023. Purdy was brought to the Jefferson County Detention Facility.
"If they needed to incarcerate him, he needed a safe environment. And they did not put him in a safe environment at all. I cannot believe that being in the general population of the jail, that you would have people who are severely disabled but did not take care of them," said Marilyn Purdy, Jim's wife.
When James Purdy was booked into the jail's general population, one of the deputies who initially arrested him disclosed Purdy's history of stroke, low blood pressure, three heart surgeries, spinal fusion and two ruptured Achilles tendons, in addition to the Parkinson's diagnosis. However, the deputy failed to document the dosages of medications Purdy was taking or the last dose he took, according to the family's lawsuit. The deputy also said Purdy had "no health or behavioral health issues identified," which was the basis for him being booked into general population.
"I thought that there would be a medical safety net. This is a man that has significant illness. He needs specialized care. I told my mom that would happen. I was wrong, and my dad died because of the jail's indifference," said Matt Purdy, Jim's son.
On July 10, 2023 at 2:54 a.m., the lawsuit claims video footage shows Purdy defecating on the floor and staff failing to help clean him up or get him off the ground. Because of Purdy's alleged agitation, staff was prohibited from further intervention out of concern for patient and staff safety.
After many falls, Purdy died on July 30, 2023.
The family's lawsuit alleges the jail's contract with VitalCore financially incentivizes the denial of needed medical care because the company is contractually obligated to pay up to a certain amount of expenses for off-site medical care for each inmate.
On Friday, Denver7 sat down with Purdy's daughter Brooke Grenemeyer, who described her father as "charismatic" and a "very dynamic person."
"He was fun-loving and never liked to miss out on any adventure. So if something came up, he was ready for it," Grenemeyer said.
She told Denver7 that the videos of her father repeatedly falling in the jail are horrifying to watch.
"I would think that anyone who has a conscience could see that this man could not take care of himself, and thus needed the help of the people around him, and those people refused to help him," she added.
We also spoke with attorney, Darold Killmer, who is representing the family.
"Mr. Purdy really experienced a torture chamber. He was not equipped to deal with the disorienting nature of jail. The jail made it even worse than just putting him in there. They took away his life-saving medications. His conditions were complex. He had Parkinson's disease. He had dementia, and he needed the medications," Killmer said.
Killmer said it might be about two years before the case can go to trial.
He added that in the meantime, his office will work on gathering more evidence.
There is a history of claims against the Jefferson County Jail. Read Denver7's past coverage of the issue in the links below:
- 'Nothing has changed': More medical neglect accusations arise against JeffCo jail following inmate death
- Two more families allege negligent inmate care at Jefferson County Jail
- Families of inmates who have recently died at Jefferson County Jail believe there's a concerning pattern
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