Dallas County could pay $1.5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit involving an inmate who died from water intoxication.
The lawsuit says jail staff failed to properly monitor Spencer Wayne Swearnger, who had a history of mental illness and self-harm.
It also claims the county did not change its policies or training after two earlier jail deaths linked to water intoxication.
Swearnger was booked into the Dallas County jail in August 2023. He died about two months later after he was found unresponsive in his cell.
The lawsuit says the county knew some people with serious mental illness can develop a condition that causes excessive water drinking, but jailers were not trained to spot the warning signs.
The Dallas County Commissioners Court could vote on the settlement today.
