Otter Tail County settles lawsuit over mistreatment of jail inmate

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KVRR-KFGO) – Otter Tail County will pay a former inmate who was deprived of food, water and medical care $200,000 and will change several policies as part of a settlement agreement.

Ramsey Kettle sued the jail and several staff members last year.

The lawsuit said staff kept Kettle in solitary confinement in an unsanitary cell covered with human feces for days. Staff ignored him as he showed increasing signs of physical and mental distress, and denied him food and water until he cleaned his cell.

Kettle is an Otter Tail County resident and a tribal member of White Earth Nation. He had been arrested several times, and the lawsuit claimed that staff were aware of his serious mental health condition for years.

The county also agreed to making multiple changes to policies, including requiring officers to report when another officer withholds food or water as a disciplinary measure.

The settlement was announced by the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.