Minnesota Attorney General to review death of Beltrami County inmate
Attorney General Keith Ellison will review the 2018 death of a Beltrami County inmate.
Hardel Sherrell, 27, died of medical complications after his pleas for help were ignored by Beltrami County jail and medical staff.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension completed its investigation in August 2022 and referred the case to Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson to consider possible criminal charges.
Hanson has now requested that the AG's office review the case.
“Hardel Sherrell’s life was important and had value. We’re committed to assisting the Beltrami County Attorney and will follow justice wherever it leads,” Ellison said in a statement. “To Hardel’s mother and loved ones: you have my deepest condolences, and you can count on our very best effort.”
Last month, the state medical board suspended indefinitely the license of a doctor whose company has been under scrutiny for its role in Sherrell’s death of a Beltrami County jail inmate.
Last year, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Hardel Sherrell Act, which established minimum standards for medical care, mental health, suicide prevention and death reviews in jails and prisons. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill into law in September.
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