The estate of a Springfield man who took his own life in a Lane County jail is suing the government for failing to prevent his death.
Patrick McAllister, 33, was discovered hanging in his cell in March 2025. He died 10 days later.
His estate is now accusing county officials of failing to put him on suicide watch or refer him to a mental health evaluation, despite earlier red flags.
“Mr. McAllister endured and suffered severe physical and emotional distress, his medical condition was exacerbated, and he died of suicide,” read the lawsuit. “Mr. McAllister’s family has been denied his love, society and companionship.”
According to the estate, McAllister had schizoaffective disorder, had previously asked deputies to kill him during a booking, and tried to wrap a garment around his neck during an earlier stint in custody.
However, the lawsuit argues that a sheriff’s deputy failed to properly review McAllister’s jail records, which contained suicide precaution notice about these incidents.
According to the filing, Deputy Randall Broome had noted that before the suicide attempt, he’d found McAllister hitting his head against a wall, but not strongly enough to injure himself.
“I spoke to him about his weak attempts at harming himself,” read the alleged note, originally in all caps. “McAllister stated he had no intention of harming himself and was not feeling suicidal.”
McAllister’s estate is seeking relief for wrongful death, supervisory liability, negligence, civil rights violations, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The defendants include the county, Broome, current county sheriff Carl Wilkerson, former county sheriff Cliff Harrold, county jail commander Greg Rice, two unnamed medical workers, and 13 unnamed other staff members. Not all defendants are included in all the claims.
The estate is requesting a jury trial. Federal Judge Mustafa Kasubhai is overseeing the case.
Jason Davis, a spokesperson for Lane County, said in an email Tuesday that the county couldn’t comment on pending litigation.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
