Island County sheriff apologizes for jail dehydration death

COUPEVILLE — A mentally ill man’s death from dehydration at the Island County Jail in April was the result of staff failure and a “systematic” breakdown of jail operations, Sheriff Mark Brown said Thursday.

Keaton Farris, 25, of Lopez Island, died April 7. The water had been shut off to his cell, and corrections deputies falsified records saying they had been checking on him hourly. Farris did not receive medical or mental-health evaluations for days after being booked.

For the nearly two weeks he was in the Island County Jail, Farris’ fluid intake was at best 185 ounces of water — less than a quarter of the amount considered minimum for survival.

“I am truly sorry for this tragic death,” Brown said in a news release. “Mr. Farris did not receive the attention and care he needed.”

The man’s parents were provided a copy of the sheriff’s investigation Thursday, said their attorney, Kathy Goater. They have established a website dedicated to their son and raising awareness about his death.

“The family is devastated,” Goater said. “The report is shocking. There was a complete disregard for the health and safety of a mentally ill man.”

Farris, who was living with bipolar disorder, put his pillow in the toilet on March 30 and flooded his cell on April 4. Corrections officers shut off the water to his cell but failed to make sure he was adequately hydrated.

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