Denver 7 is reporting that a Denver woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging negligence in the November 2019 death of her son at the Saguache County Jail.
27-year-old Jackson Maes was at a Saguache establishment when deputies were dispatched on a call about a man who was intoxicated and who appeared depressed. The responding deputy discovered that Maes had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a traffic ticket. The warrant was for a $250 cash bond.
According to the lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother Sarah Lieberenz, the booking details indicate Maes was not suicidal or violent, but witness reports indicate people heard him express acute suicidal ideas to the arresting deputy.
Once he was booked into jail, Maes apparently began banging his head on the wall of his cell, telling a deputy that he was trying to kill himself. The deputy told him to lay down and get some rest.
During an interview with investigators, Shelby Shields, who works in the booking area, said they called mental health, but no one answered and no message was left. In her recorded interview, Shields said the deputies involved “feared that Jackson was suicidal, but nothing was ever done about it.”
Her comments are part of the federal lawsuit against the Saguache County Commissioners, sheriff’s office, and individuals in the sheriff’s office alleging failure to supervise Maes, let him talk to a mental health professional, or have him transported to a health care facility.
The attorney’s summary states that in full view of surveillance cameras, Maes pulled down a shower curtain and wrapped it around his neck.
He was not discovered for more that eight hours.
Attorney Spencer Bryan told Denver 7 that “It is tragic and unfortunate that Jackson ended up in a facility that was simply not equipped to handle some of the most fundamental and basic human needs required by our Constitution.
