Mecklenburg County Sheriff sued in connection with 2021 inmate death

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is being sued in connection with an inmate’s death that occurred in 2021, according to court documents.

Reports said the family of John Devin Haley is suing after he committed suicide while inside the Mecklenburg County Jail on May 22, 2021.

The family is alleging that the facility had poor medical oversight and Haley did not receive proper medication.

The family also said Haley was not watched like he should have been given his known mental health issues.

According to the reports, Haley was found hanging below his cell window at the Mecklenburg County jail with a strip of blanket tied around his neck.

Channel 9 learned that he had a history of addiction and mental health problems when he entered the jail on April 3 and was temporarily placed on suicide watch.

In October 2021, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation began probing into the deaths of two inmates after the jail violated regulations requiring guards to observe them at least twice an hour.

In North Carolina, jailers are required to observe each inmate “at least twice an hour on an irregular basis, with no more than 40 minutes between rounds,” according to state regulations. That standard was repeatedly violated in the hours leading up to the two deaths, according to investigators with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to reports, the investigation into Haley’s death also found that jail staff repeatedly failed to meet the twice-an-hour observation standard. In all, jailers made a dozen fewer trips than state regulations required to observe Haley on May 21 and May 22, according to the report.

Channel 9 reached out to McFadden for a comment regarding the investigation but has not heard back.

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