WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The family of a man who died after sustaining self-inflicted injuries at the Whatcom County Jail has filed a federal lawsuit.

The suit was filed with the Western District of Washington on Aug. 24 against Whatcom County, along with several current and former members of the sheriff’s office.

Plaintiff Elaine Barness claims that the death of her son, Robert Barness Jr., could have been prevented while he was in custody.

Court documents state that in June 2023, Barness Jr. was arrested after being accused of assault while having a mental health crisis. Elaine said that she spoke with a sheriff’s deputy concerning her son’s mental health, noting that he had previously attempted suicide on multiple occasions.

Instead of being evaluated by a Designated Crisis Responder, Elaine alleges her son underwent a simpler medical screening before being housed in the jail’s general population.

Barness Jr. was found unresponsive with a “baseball-sized lump” on his head in September 2023, hours after a corrections officer noted repeated banging and yelling from the door of his cell.

He was hospitalized and taken off of life support two days later.

In her lawsuit, Elaine claims that the sheriff’s office and jail staff didn’t take appropriate action to ensure her son’s safety was taken seriously. She also noted five separate incidents at the Whatcom County Jail where inmates took their own life without prompting significant changes to staff training and protocol.

 

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicide/mental health, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.