Kin of inmate killed in jail sues officials

FORT SMITH — The brother of a Sebastian County jail inmate who authorities said was strangled by another inmate in 2010 has sued the sheriff’s office and some of its officials in federal court.

An attorney for Joe Wolf of Oklahoma contends in the complaint that sheriff’s officials failed to protect 64-yearold Gary Wolf from the man charged in his death, Ashley Kaufman. The lawsuit alleges that they violated Gary Wolf’s constitutional rights because he wasn’t properly protected from harm, and that supervisors failed to properly follow jail policies and procedures in supervising detention deputies.

Kaufman was in “administrative segregation” in the CC Pod of the jail for striking a detention deputy, and Gary Wolf was in the same pod to keep him separated from other inmates because he was jailed on charges of molesting two children.

At some point on Sept. 16, 2010, Kaufman called Gary Wolf into his cell and strangled him, authorities have said.

Kaufman is charged with first-degree murder in Gary Wolf’s death, and is scheduled to go to trial April 16 in Sebastian County Circuit Court, according to sheriff’s office reports.

Joe Wolf’s lawsuit asks for a declaratory judgment that the sheriff’s officials actions, policies and practices violated Gary Wolf’s Fifth, Eighth and 14th Amendment rights. It also asks for monetary damages.

Named as defendants in the suit are Sebastian County, former Sheriff Frank Atkinson, current Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck, jail Administrator Mike Conger, Sgt. John Devane, Cpl. Aaron Mariott, and detention deputies Kim Taulbee and Brian Mcgrew.

According to a sheriff ’s report, Devane, Taulbee and Mariott were given warnings for their actions involving Wolf’s death.