The family of Troy Dean Pownell, a 38-year-old man who died in Tippecanoe County Jail, is suing the sheriff and jail staff, accusing them of deliberate indifference and negligence after allegedly ignoring his worsening medical condition and mocking his cries for help.
Filed Monday in federal court, the lawsuit claims Pownell’s repeated requests for medical attention were dismissed by staff who reportedly told him, “You’re not getting a free ride to the hospital today,” and “Stop being a p—y.”
Pownell was jailed on April 2, 2024, after missing a court date for a drug-related case. Upon entry, he reported no health issues. But over the next several days, his condition declined rapidly. By April 6, he began experiencing severe abdominal pain and dry heaving. By April 7, he was visibly suffering and in pain.
Fellow inmates grew concerned and repeatedly pressed the call button, but were told it was for “emergencies only.” Despite clear signs of distress—paleness, sweating, an abnormal heart rate, and unresponsive pupils—a nurse allegedly dismissed his condition as drug withdrawal symptoms. Pownell had admitted to recent heroin use, and staff reportedly fixated on withdrawal despite the timeline being inconsistent with typical symptoms.
An X-ray taken on April 8 showed a “nonobstructive abdominal bowel gas pattern,” but no urgent follow-up care was given. By the evening, Pownell was vomiting, curled into a ball, and eventually began seizing. Jail staff found him cold to the touch and without a pulse.
Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. A coroner later determined the cause of death to be sepsis from a perforated duodenal ulcer, worsened by liver cirrhosis.
Family Seeks Accountability
Pownell’s 18-year-old son, Troy Allen Pownell, is serving as the administrator of his father’s estate. His attorneys, Stephen M. Wagner and Susannah Hall-Justice, argue the jail violated the U.S. Constitution by failing to provide necessary emergency care.
“When jail personnel deliberately ignore a sick inmate under their care, they run afoul of the U.S. Constitution and should be held accountable,” the attorneys stated.
The lawsuit alleges that for over an hour and a half, Pownell’s cellmate repeatedly pressed the emergency button to no avail. Staff did not respond until after he had already suffered a seizure and lost consciousness.
“Troy died a slow and painful death,” Wagner and Hall-Justice wrote.*
His son added, “I miss my dad every day and just wish they would have helped him when it was so obvious that he needed to go to the hospital. We hope this case helps change how people with medical problems are treated when they are in jail. Rest in peace, Dad.”
The case adds to growing scrutiny over inmate medical care in U.S. jails, where staffing, training, and attitudes toward addiction and illness continue to raise concerns.