Ex-Richland County Jail corrections officer indicted in 2019 inmate's death
A former Richland County Jail corrections officer has been indicted on three felony charges in connection with the September 2019 death of an inmate who had been forcibly subdued by officers at the jail and died eight days later at a local hospital.
The officer, Mark D. Cooper of Shiloh, was served the indictment Thursday in connection with the death of Alexander Rios, 28, who tried to flee down a jail hallway and was tackled and held down by corrections officers in an altercation captured on video.
The Richland County grand jury met earlier this month and indicted Cooper on a first-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter, a third degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter, and a third-degree felony count of reckless homicide.
Prosecutor said he cannot comment on grand jury process
The indictment, signed by Scott Salisbury, Medina County assistant prosecuting attorney, was filed Monday in Richland County Common Pleas Court.
S. Forrest Thompson, a Medina County prosecutor appointed by Richland County Prosecutor Gary Bishop to investigate the case, told the News Journal in an email Friday that he could not comment on any details of the grand jury process or whether any other indictments are possible.
The Richland County Sheriff's Office had reached a wrongful death settlement with Rios' family for $4 million a year ago.
'He's turning blue': Family demands answers in Richland jail death after video surfaces
The jail video obtained by the News Journal in 2021 through a public records request shows the five corrections officers on Sept. 19, 2019, holding Rios down, stepping and kneeling on his back while another punches the inmate in the head and presses his head into the concrete floor as they tried to handcuff him.
One officer placed one foot on Rios’ back and lifted his other foot off the ground, putting his full weight on the inmate for several seconds.
Rios could be heard gasping.
About two minutes after he ran out of the cell, Rios became unresponsive.
Rios was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield and never regained consciousness. He was removed from a ventilator and died on Sept. 27, 2019.
Don Mould, Rios' stepfather, said in regard to Cooper's indictment: "I'm not going to let go yet because I'm not going to just take a scapegoat. There's more people involved than just this one guy."
"Alex made some bad decisions but what's right for one is right for all," Mould said. "At the end of the day, Al made a few mistakes and decisions bring consequences and these guys (corrections officers) made some mistakes."
Rios was arrested on Sept. 18, 2019, at the Wakeman home of his parents, Don and Toni Mould, after a domestic incident involving an ex-girlfriend. He was taken to the Mansfield jail on an outstanding warrant, records show.
The next day, the Richland County Sheriff's Office reported it was investigating an incident involving an inmate who had tried to commit suicide.
The Sheriff's Office said the Hispanic father of two boys, who was not identified at the time, had been standing on a half wall in a holding cell, shouting to jail staff through a door window, and officers said they believed he was going to try to take his own life.
Officers tried to place Rios in a restraint chair
Sheriff's Office video obtained by the News Journal in January 2021 shows the entire incident starting with correctional officers trying to enter Rios' cell to place him in a restraint chair.
But when they opened the door, Rios bolted out, racing past the corrections officers who pursued him, then tackled him in a nearby hallway and forcefully subdued him until he lost consciousness.
Rios' autopsy was conducted by Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger. On the death certificate, Richland County Coroner Dr. Dan Burwell listed the cause of death as "excited delirium" and noted Rios tested positive for amphetamines.
Dr. Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University who reviewed the video for the News Journal, called the officers' efforts to subdue Rios "sloppy" and said they "demonstrated a gross disregard for the value of human life."
He called the jail video "very troubling."
Officers failed to follow best practices in removing Rios from the holding cell, which would have prevented Rios from running past them. "That should never have happened," Stinson said.
Cooper wrote an incident report on Sept. 20, 2019, giving his view of, and participation in, the jail altercation.
The former corrections officer's report was obtained previously by News Journal through public records request:
"On the above date and time while assigned as the control room three officer, I responded to an assistance call, to place an inmate in the restraint chair, in book-in. As I entered book-in through door 1B2, I observed Lt. O'Dell, Officers Prendergast, Long, Longshore and Gartner struggling with an inmate outside of shower room two and giving him orders to stop resisting. I immediately ran to assist officers with the inmate later identified as inmate Alexander Rios ID57849.
"The inmate appeared to have super human strength, was pushing himself up from the floor and was about to break free. I then attempted to help by grabbing inmate Rios by the shoulders. At this time I heard someone yell taser and I was struck in the right hand by a taser probe. I was then tased and I stepped backwards. I then pulled the wire from the probe and returned to assist. Being injured, I assisted the only way I could by placing my right foot on inmate Rios right shoulder blade and applied pressure. Inmate Rios was still able to push himself up from the floor and was attempting to turn over so I applied more pressure by using my body weight.
"Officer Prendergast then attempted to apply handcuffs, so I replaced him in his spot by kneeling and placing my left knee on Inmate Rios right should blade. Once inmate Rios was secured, I observed that Inmate Rios face was blue and his lips were pale. I advised all officers not to place him in the restraint chair and to place him on his side. I asked for someone to retrieve the AED [defibrillator] as Officer Prendergast checked his vitals. He advised the Inmate Rios had a pulse and Inmate Rios skin tone was returning back to normal. As the AED was being applied, Inmate Rios face again began to turn a bluish color. At this time I attempted to retrieve an AMBU-BAG from the medical room but was unable to find one. When I returned to the book-in room I observed officers performing CPR on Inmate Rios. A few moments later the emergency squad arrived and they exited with Inmate Rios. This ends my involvement in the incident."
Cooper started work at Richland County Jail in 2003
Cooper came to the Richland County Jail in 2003 as a corrections officer, after serving as a full-time deputy sheriff with the Lee County Sheriff's Office from Jan. 26, 1998 to Aug. 19, 2003 in Fort Myers, Fla., according to his personnel file. He held the rank of corporal in the detention bureau.
He is a Crestview High School graduate who received a certificate in corrections and a certificate in law enforcement from the Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy in Ft. Myers, Fla., according to his personnel file.
It was not immediately known when Cooper stopped working at the Richland County Jail.
The $4 million wrongful death settlement was reached with Rios' family in December 2021 on behalf of the Richland County Sheriff's Office from CORSA, the County Risk Sharing Authority for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.
The settlement set $1,333,2000 for attorney fees, which is one-third of the total settlement amount, with the net proceeds of $2,647,691.12 after other fees and expenses distributed to Rios' three children and two parents, according to probate court records obtained by the News Journal.
Friday, the Richland County Sheriff's Office, asked for comment by the News Journal, issued a statement via email.
"The Richland County Sheriff’s Office is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities to all inmates who find themselves in our care. The death of Mr. Rios was a tragedy, regardless of whether thoughtful people disagree about the reasons for this loss. The RCSO has cooperated fully with the investigation conducted by the special prosecutor and trusts in the criminal process to provide justice to the Rios family and former Corrections Officer Cooper. The RCSO will offer no further comment on this matter as the criminal process proceeds to a conclusion," the statement said.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
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Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ex-Richland County corrections officer indicted in 2019 inmate death
