JONESBORO, Ark. — A petition to approve a settlement agreement filed by the estate of Brock Turner involving Turn Key Health has been withdrawn.
Less than two days after filing a petition to approve a settlement agreement, lawyer Luther Sutter filed a notice of withdrawal of the petition to approve the settlement claim. The new motion, filed at 3:01 PM on May 20, says that both the estate and Turn Key intend to enter into a written settlement agreement, but the written agreement has not yet been executed.
“Once the written settlement agreement has been fully executed, Petitioner will seek this Court’s approval of the written agreement,” Sutter said.
Read More: Notice to Withdraw Settlement
NEA Report reached out to Sutter, who did not respond to requests for comment.
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City, Officer Still Face Legal Claim
JONESBORO, Ark. — A settlement has been reached with some of the parties in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of a man who died in police custody last year in Jonesboro.
In the matter of the estate of Brock Tyner, who died in custody last year, a petition to approve a settlement was filed late May 18, 2025. The petition states the parties have reached a settlement agreement totaling $900,000. The settlement resolves the case against Turn Key Health, the company that provides contracted nursing staff to the jail, as well as its employees.
The settlement does not include the City of Jonesboro or its officers, including the now-fired officer Joseph Harris, who faces felony criminal charges for the beating of an inmate in custody. Both Harris and the city are still being sued.
Under the terms of the settlement, $250,000 is to be paid within 30 days of the agreement’s execution, pending court approval. The remaining $650,000 will be paid in three installments on Aug. 1, Oct. 1 and Dec. 1. If any payment is missed, the agreement is void, but the estate will retain all funds already received. The lawsuit against the company and the nurse could then resume.
See More: Petition to Approve Settlement Turn Key
Brock Tyner died in custody on May 4, 2024, after being arrested the night before by Jonesboro police. Officers Harris and Payton Perkins were dispatched at 10:59 p.m. May 3 to a crisis intervention call on South Gee Street, according to a lawsuit filed by Tyner’s family. Although an ambulance had also been dispatched, Officer Harris canceled it and arrested Tyner for public intoxication, taking him to the Craighead County Detention Center.
The lawsuit, filed June 3 in Craighead County Circuit Court, alleged Tyner’s constitutional rights were violated and claimed he would have survived if he had received medical care instead of being jailed. It also said Tyner, who had severe mental illness, begged officers for help during the arrest.
Once at the jail, Turn Key Nurse Delaney Hall cleared Tyner for booking. Despite later concerns raised by jail staff, the nurse again said he was fine. She said there was nothing the hospital could do for him when he was coming off the effects of narcotics, according to records released to NEA Report. Tyner was eventually taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:06 a.m.
The nurse issued a statement to NEA Report regarding her involvement.
The family sought more than $1 million in damages and a jury trial. Their attorney, Luther Sutter, said the death was avoidable and blamed inadequate training and procedures for handling mentally ill individuals.
Luther Sutter, lawyer for the estate, released the following statement to NEA Report on Monday, May 19, 2025:
Ultimately, Nurse Hall was placed in an untenable position, which was caused by Officer Harris’s inexplicable decision to cancel the ambulance. We look forward to continuing this lawsuit against Officer Harris and the City of Jonesboro, until they realize that their job is to protect and serve, not arrest and beat.
– Luther Sutter, Sutter & Gillham
Inmate Died After Nurse Initially Refused Hospital Transfer Despite Jailer Concerns
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It just pains me to think that people take an oath to serve and protect, but when it cones time to uphold their oath, they fail to do so! I hate it when nurses say that there is nothing wrong when an inmate ask for medical treatment! How do they know? Officer Harris has proven time and time again, that he had no business being a police officer! He was mean to inmates for no apparent reason and that’s why he’s in serious trouble today! He should have never been allowed to continue being an officer after this incident, but his days of torturing inmates came to an end, when he messed with the wrong one and got FIRED!
That was my brother my baby brother I miss him
Payers
I see u made this comment on the 27 of may my 25 birthday it hurts but I loved that kid dearly
Omg, how could officer harris think this man was well enough to go to booking and cancel the ambulance? He was later restrained tightly in a restraint chhair. With the anxiety & need to move, I can’t imagine how tortuous that was. The police department failed him.
Wronful death, several cases with excessive force and so on, at a point in 2024 there was a list of eight or nine lawsuits involving JPD. They need to clean out the bad officers, and train everyone else on de-escalation and using proper protocols. Also, Nurse Hall (involved in Tyner’s wrongful death should lose her license, get fired, and pay bigtime in the lawsuit against the JPD, Harris and her.
I definitely appreciate it he didn’t hurt no one he was my baby brother n I miss him dearly but at the end of the day I hate jpd they think it’s ok especially Joesph Harris thought he can play god I hope he knows Jesus will deal with him but my brother not suffering no more but Playing God is a bad Game to play with there never get rid of the fukin bad jpd officer It’s ok they don’t understand there the reason why a lot of people hate them.ps my freedom of speech f tha police