Kansas Inmate Sues After Losing Fingers While Jailed

A former Shawnee County Jail inmate says in a lawsuit that parts of her fingers had to be amputated after jail workers slammed her cell’s food slot on them.

LaStacia Elliot says in the lawsuit against Shawnee County that the staff slammed the food slot on her hand on Dec. 15, 2009. She says parts of three of her fingers on her right hand had to be amputated and she suffered other medical problems.

County counselor Rich Eckert says the county looks forward to contesting its liability and the effort to seek damages in court.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Elliott initially filed a claim seeking damages but the county denied the claim in November.