Christopher Lopez Colorado - The family of the prisoner, who died while guards ignored his struggle to live amid a seizure, is to receive $3 million from the Colorado Department of Corrections as part of the settlement made in the wake of his case, The Guardian has learned.
David Lane, the lawyer of the late prisoner's family, issued a statement on Thursday, expressing that the settlement in behalf of Christopher Lopez of Colorado is a clear message that inmates shouldn't be treated no different than humans.
"The death of Christopher Lopez was easily preventable and was caused by a mentality that the lives of prisoners are worthless," Lane said. Hopefully, this settlement sends a message not just to Colorado prison authorities but to prison and jail authorities all over the country that the human beings they incarcerate must be treated like human beings."
The 35-year-old Colorado-native, who reportedly suffered from schizophrenia disorder, apparently passed away at San Carlos Correctional Facility in Pueblo back in March 2013.
In a video taken by facility staff, the guards and the nurses could be heard and seen laughing and joking while Lopez was having a seizure that turned out to be fatal, RT.com reports.
Per court documents, Christopher died of severe hyponatremia or the excessive loss of sodium in blood. In the video, he could be seen unconsciously lying in his underwear on a concrete floor after a nurse administered some medication on his gluteal area.
Following his death, three employees of the facility were fired and five others were put in corrective or disciplinary action.
In response to the settlement, the Department of Corrections said, "We wish to reiterate that Department does not condone the actions or omissions of the employees involved. Their actions were well outside of the Department's established training, policies, and practices."
Christopher Lopez of Colorado was reportedly incarcerated multiple times for minor offences, according to Denver Post. It was his mother, Juanita Lopez, who filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court back in June.
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