PORTLAND, Ore. — The family of a man who died after being left unattended in the back of a Coos Bay police vehicle has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and three officers, alleging they failed to provide medical aid during a visible health crisis, KOIN reported.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, claims 33-year-old Nathan Bradford Smith died after being arrested and placed in a patrol car on July 7, 2024. According to the complaint, Smith showed signs of medical distress following his arrest for alleged disorderly conduct and later died at the hospital.
The three officers named in the lawsuit allegedly encountered Smith three times that day. Police records indicate Smith had been smoking methamphetamine and was showing erratic behavior, including rapid speech and fluttering eyes.
The third and final encounter began near a Motel 6 on North Bayshore Drive, where callers to 911 reported Smith was flailing on the ground and appeared to be in distress. According to the lawsuit, officers restrained Smith in a stress position to handcuff him.
Smith was placed in the back of a patrol car, where the lawsuit states he appeared to slump over, gasping for air with his eyes closed. One officer is accused of spraying air freshener in the car before leaving the scene around 5:10 p.m., with Smith still inside.
At the Coos Bay Police Department, the officer allegedly entered the building without checking on Smith. The lawsuit states that surveillance footage shows the officer on his phone, responding to text messages and browsing social media while Smith remained in the car for several minutes, reportedly shaking and struggling to breathe.
About three minutes later, Martin returned to the vehicle and found Smith unconscious. Officers administered Narcan and attempted a sternal rub before Smith was taken to the hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest around 5:50 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 6:25 p.m.
“Had officers taken Mr. Smith directly to Bay Area Hospital from Motel 6 or called an ambulance to the scene, emergency department staff would have had over 40 minutes to stabilize Mr. Smith prior to the time he suffered cardiac arrest,” the lawsuit states.
The cause of death was listed as hyperthermia due to methamphetamine intoxication, with additional contributing factors including heavy clothing, according to the complaint.
The suit alleges the officers were “deliberately indifferent” to Smith’s medical condition and failed to call for medical assistance or render aid.
The City of Coos Bay has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
