ST. LOUIS (AP) – A federal lawsuit claims that a Missouri man was held in a
rural jail’s restraint chair for five days, including a period of at least 24
hours with a blanket over his head.
The lawsuit from Albert Okal (Oh-KAL’) names Wayne County, its sheriff,
deputies and jailers. The lawsuit, first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
is the latest of several involving use of inmate restraint chairs.
Okal was arrested for drunk driving in 2016. Attorney Steve Walsh says Okal
was placed in the restraint chair after suffering a manic attack.
Walsh says Okal was not allowed restroom breaks, forcing him to defecate and
urinate in his pants.
Defendants believe any damage suffered by Okal was due to his own
“carelessness and negligence,” their attorney says in a court document.
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