Former jail inmate sues Hennepin County

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A former jail inmate is suing Hennepin County, saying it failed to provide adequate mental health care while he was incarcerated.

Police brought Michael Schuler to the psychiatric unit of Hennepin County Medical Center where he was kept in restraints last March. After he was discharged, he was booked into the jail because he missed a court date while hospitalized.

Schuler's attorney, William Lubov, says Schuler was so disturbed he began to mutilate himself while behind bars. Lubov says Schuler used a pencil to stab his eyes, cause irreparable damage to one of them.

Sheriff Rich Stanek tells KMSP-TV he can't talk about Schuler's case because of the pending lawsuit. But, Stanek in the past has been outspoken about using the county jail as holding cells for the mentally ill.

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Information from: KMSP-TV

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