ESCONDIDO, Calif. – A mentally ill man who jumped off a bunk bed in an Escondido jail cell and broke his neck is suing authorities for $15 million over his injury.
Henry Kodimer, now a quadriplegic, has filed a lawsuit against San Diego County, the city of Escondido and three police officers. Kodimer alleges that negligence led to the injury on Feb. 18, 2007. He also claims violations of his civil rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Thirty-six-year-old Kodimer was arrested on suspicion of assault. His attorney, Hermez Moreno, says Kodimer suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and authorities should have steered him toward treatment instead of jail.
Attorneys for county, city and the police officers all denied the charges on Monday.
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