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State should examine the death of prison inmate Shaheen Mackey

2 min read

The Luzerne County Council’s approval of a $3 million settlement with the family of county prison inmate Shaheen Mackey, who died after being forcibly restrained by corrections officers in 2018, should not be the end of this horrific case.

The suit filed by Mackey’s estate makes harrowing allegations of negligence and brutality, including a disregard of Mackey’s medical condition and multiple use of tasers after he was restrained.

The prison video of the incident, which has not been made public, was apparently so shocking that two council members advocated firing county Manager David Pedri and county Director of Corrections Mark Rockovich.

In court documents, the county has denied most of the suit’s allegations, but the acceptance of a settlement of this size by the county and its insurance carrier, which will assume most of the cost, indicates this was a case neither was eager to take to trial.

The settlement likely means the county will admit no wrongdoing and Mackey’s family will agree to forgo any additional litigation and reserve further comment on the case. Those are standard elements of such settlements.

But as citizens and taxpayers of Luzerne County, we cannot settle and accept that the details of this case will remain hidden. A 41-year-old man detained under a protection-from-abuse order who suffered from seizures died after alleged mistreatment by corrections officers who work for us.

Mackey’s death raises grave questions about the procedures in the county prison and whether there are adequate safeguards for inmate safety and sufficient control of the prison staff.

Less than six months after Mackey’s death, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office found there was no wrongdoing by the corrections officers who restrained him, a ruling that in light of the lawsuit and settlement seems questionable.

It is common practice for District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis to recuse herself from cases involving allegations against police officers or departments within her jurisdiction and forward them to state prosecutors. She should have done so in this case.

But it is not too late for the state Office of the Attorney General to intervene. It should ask for court approval to launch its own independent investigation and a review of procedures and training at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

Two years after his death, it’s time for justice for Shaheen Mackey.

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