Lawsuit Alleges Police Negligence in Death of Mentally Ill Man

A recent lawsuit claims that police officers in Oregon neglected a mentally ill man, ultimately leading to his death in a police car.

Nathan Bradford Smith, aged 33, suffered a fatal fever stroke, worsened by methamphetamine use, during his arrest in July 2024. According to Smith’s family, Coos Bay police officers chose to scroll through TikTok instead of providing medical assistance, leaving him in a parked police cruiser to send personal messages.

The suit targets the city of Coos Bay and specific officers, accusing them of ignoring clear signs of Smith’s medical distress, which the family describes as negligence and “intentional intervention.”

Smith, who had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, had numerous previous encounters with the police and had been found in poor condition. The lawsuit indicates that, during one encounter, officers discovered him wearing heavy clothing on the ground outside a Motel 6.

One of the emergency callers expressed concern for Smith’s safety, with another reporting that he was “flamed” on the ground, according to the legal documents.

Body camera footage showed Smith struggling to breathe while being handcuffed by several officers. He appeared to have great difficulty entering the police cruiser, closing his eyes and gasping for air.

While parked at the Coos Bay Police Station on a day when temperatures reached 68 degrees, Officer Martin allegedly left Smith unattended inside the vehicle. During this time, he responded to a text message that read, “I feel like I haven’t seen you in a week, so I’m ready to snuggle.” He also spent time on TikTok, according to the lawsuit.

When officers eventually returned to the cruiser, Smith was found unconscious, breathing abnormally. The officers administered Narcan, a drug for overdose treatment, and called for an ambulance.

Paramedics arrived to find Smith with a temperature of 107 degrees, and he was rushed to Bay Area Hospital, but he later died from cardiac arrest.

The records state that his cause of death was attributed to “high temperature therapy due to the exogenous contributions from methamphetamine addiction and wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing.” The lawsuit underscores that Smith clearly exhibited signs of distress, noting that by the time he reached the hospital, his temperature indicated life-threatening conditions.

Smith’s father recounted how his son lived at the motel and had visited him shortly before this incident. He expressed frustration that officers did not provide him information about his son’s health until after the funeral.

“He didn’t deserve to be left to just die,” Smith stated, reflecting his heartbreak over the experience.

As of now, no criminal charges have been brought against the officers involved, and the lawsuit is seeking damages that remain unspecified.