Family Sues Over Death in Las Vegas Jail

A lawsuit alleging wrongful death and violation of civil and international rights was filed in federal court Tuesday on behalf of the father and cousin of a French man who died in jail two months ago.

The suit charges that Philippe Le Menn, a French national, was subjected to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” during a struggle with jail guards that left him dead Jan. 4.

Among those named as defendants were Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Jerry Keller and nine correctional officers.

The death of the 33-year-old local restaurant manager has already been ruled excusable by a jury after a coroner’s inquest, thwarting any local criminal prosecution of the guards who subdued Le Menn.

Attorneys for the family hope, however, that an FBI investigation of the incident, now underway, might still lead to federal charges.

In the meantime, the lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Le Menn was jailed after acting bizarrely outside a local school. After several hours in a jail cell, he became agitated and a violent struggle erupted while officers were moving him to an observation cell. An autopsy showed that he died of asphyxiation. The coroner’s inquest was unable to determine the precise circumstances leading to his death, and who might have been responsible for it.

The lawsuit charges that the department failed to properly train and supervise its officers, especially in handling mentally disturbed people.