McClellandtown man sues prison warden, employees
A man who lost an eye after an alleged attack by another inmate in the Fayette County Prison has filed suit against the warden and staff.
Late last week, Noah Geary, the attorney for Michael Edgar, sued in federal court in Pittsburgh, naming Warden Brian Miller, Correctional Officer Aaron Loring and a prison employee only referred to as “John Doe.”
According to the complaint, Edgar was lodged in the county lockup on Dec. 22, 2014, as a pre-trial detainee in a criminal case.
The then-34-year-old Edgar of McClellandtown is a hemophiliac and lodged on D Range in the prison. Geary contended Edgar shouldn’t have been housed there because of his medical condition.
Geary wrote in the suit that prison policy prohibits two inmates from being let out of the cells at the same time on that range. However, on Dec. 24, 2014, the complaint states that Loring let Edgar out of his cell and then let another inmate, Cody Darrell, out of his cell.
Geary alleged that Loring allegedly said, “We’re going to open two cells today. We’re not supposed to, but we’re going to see what happens.”
Darrell approached Edgar and punched him in the face, Geary alleged, and when Edgar told Loring what had happened, Loring did nothing.
Darrell, who was armed with a shank, repeatedly punched Edgar and slashed Edgar’s right eye with the shank, leading Edgar to profusely bleed, according to the suit.
Edgar was taken to Uniontown Hospital and then transferred to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh where surgery was performed on his right eye, but Edgar lost the eye.
As a result of the attack, Geary stated that Edgar sustained excruciating pain from the injury, physical suffering, a head injury, a concussion, post-concussive syndrome, permanent disfigurement, migraines, severe emotional distress, anxiety, depression, loss of equilibrium and balance, and other injuries.
Geary alleged that Miller and Deputy Warden Mike Zavada failed to inform the Fayette County Prison Board of the attack.
Edgar is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, interests and attorney fees.
On Oct. 24, Darrell, 21, was sentenced to one to two years in a state correctional facility in connection with the attack.