Man paralyzed after ride in Marion County jail wagon settles federal lawsuit

Update: This story has been updated with a response from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

A quadriplegic man who said he was paralyzed after being forced into the back of a Marion County Sheriff’s Office wagon and transported to jail without safety restraints has reached a major settlement with the Indianapolis-Marion County government.

Travis Shinneman's lawsuit was dismissed Friday, less than a month after an agreement was reached to pay him $1.8 million plus $9,085 every month to a trust for the rest of his life. It's one of the biggest payouts the city-county government has signed off on in years, according to an IndyStar review of hundreds of settlement totals dating back to early 2018.

Related: A deputy accused of paralyzing an Indiana man stayed employed until a fellow deputy died

Sheriff's office says no video of what happened in wagon

Shinneman's suit listed 22 defendants, including the city-county council, Marion County Sheriff's Office plus several law enforcement officers and employees of those agencies. It also listed Sheriff Kerry Forestal and Mayor Joe Hogsett.

The city-county's Office of Corporation Counsel signed the settlement on behalf of the defendants.

The sheriff's office told IndyStar Wednesday there isn't video footage of his arrest nor his time in the wagon, meaning there's "no direct evidence revealing how Mr. Shinneman’s injuries occurred." A settlement was reached because a jury would have had limited information, an office spokesperson said.

"The compromise settlement avoided a potentially large verdict," they added.

Sheriff's employee 'slid' Shinneman into wagon while handcuffed

Shinneman sued after he was arrested Sept. 8, 2019, in the 2700 block of Southeastern Avenue for disorderly conduct. Indianapolis police found him yelling in the street, according to his lawsuit, and believed he was intoxicated. He wasn't disabled at the time.

Shinneman, a recovering alcoholic, previously told IndyStar he broke his sobriety and drank that day because of life and work stress.

Travis Shinneman: He was put into a Marion County jail wagon and came out a quadriplegic, lawyers say

A police officer on scene saw a sheriff’s transport officer “push (Shinneman) into the wagon belly down and slide him in" while handcuffed, the lawsuit states. He was sitting on the floorboards and looking forward when the wagon’s doors closed.

"Mr. Shinneman appeared fine when in the custody of our officers and only expressed that he was injured when he got to lock up after transport in the wagon," Indianapolis police commander Ronald Hicks wrote to a deputy chief after the incident, according to emails provided to IndyStar.

Shinneman found face-down in back of wagon

The transport officer, Steve Monday, told his office’s internal affairs division that Shinneman was so intoxicated he worried about “potential asphyxiation and/or choking hazards,” according to the lawsuit. When the wagon arrived at the jail, Monday found Shinneman face-down in the back.

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Multiple sheriff’s deputies pushed him against a wall to keep him upright. His legs dangled. At one point he crumpled to the floor.

Shinneman was brought to Eskenazi Hospital in an ambulance. He was diagnosed as quadriplegic and underwent surgery to fuse his spine.

IndyStar has requested comment from Jennifer Culotta, one of Shinneman’s attorneys. Culotta told IndyStar in the past Shinneman was like "a ping-pong ball in the back seat of a van." Culotta hasn't replied.

Court records show no criminal charges have been filed against Monday over the Shinneman case - but he was fired earlier this month following another violent incident.

On Wednesday the sheriff's office said deputy Monday and another deputy were terminated during an investigation into the death of deputy John Durm. Durm was strangled to death July 10 after driving a detainee to the Adult Detention Center following a hospital visit, though it's not clear what role Monday had in the events around Durm's death. The detainee, Orlando Mitchell, has been charged with murder.

The sheriff's office also told IndyStar Wednesday it doesn't plan on changing its restraint policies after Shinneman's injuries.

"Experts would have testified (at trial) that seatbelt like restraints were not required by federal law, and could be dangerous in the event of an accident," the spokesperson said. However, the office is renewing a request for cameras to be placed in wagons.

Prosecutors dropped the disorderly conduct charge against Shinneman nearly a year after his arrest.

Call IndyStar courts reporter Johnny Magdaleno at 317-273-3188 or email him at jmagdaleno@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @IndyStarJohnny

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis man paralyzed en route to jail gets $1.8M settlement