In a landmark federal trial, a jury has held a private corrections company responsible for the 2015 death of a man who suffered fatal head injuries while in custody at a Louisiana jail. The jury’s verdict, delivered this week in the Western District of Louisiana, resulted in an award of over $40 million in damages to the family of Erie Moore Sr., marking one of the largest known jury awards for an in-custody death in the United States.
Erie Moore Sr. was a 57-year-old mill worker and devoted father of three, with no prior criminal history. His tragic ordeal began on October 12, 2015, when he was arrested at a doughnut shop in Monroe, Louisiana, for disturbing the peace. According to court documents, Moore became “agitated and noncompliant” during the process of being taken into custody at the Richwood Correctional Center, a privately operated jail facility run by LaSalle Management Company. Moore’s attorney, Max Schoening, described his client as “mentally unwell” at the time, suggesting that his behavior was influenced by underlying mental health issues.
Throughout the 36 hours Moore spent in custody, the court filings reveal that he was subjected to excessive and repeated use of pepper spray, with guards reportedly deploying it on him at least eight times. Security camera footage submitted as evidence shows a disturbing scene where several guards forcibly restrained Moore. At one point, guards can be seen lifting him by his legs and handcuffed hands when one of the officers stumbled, causing Moore’s head to strike the ground. This incident was captured on video, highlighting the physical abuse he endured.
After this incident, Moore was taken to a secluded area of the jail that was not covered by security cameras. For nearly two hours, he remained out of sight, during which time no medical attention was provided, despite his deteriorating condition. The jury found that the guards continued to apply excessive force against Moore in this unmonitored part of the facility. When sheriffs from another law enforcement agency arrived to transfer Moore to a different jail, they discovered him unconscious and completely unresponsive.
By the time Moore was finally transported to a hospital, he was already in a coma. He succumbed to his injuries approximately a month later. The Ouachita Parish coroner officially ruled his death a homicide, attributing it to the blunt force trauma he sustained to the head while in custody. Despite the severity of the findings, no criminal charges have been filed against any of the guards involved in the incident.
The federal jury held three individual guards accountable for negligence, battery, and excessive use of force. Additionally, LaSalle Management Company, which operates the Richwood Correctional Center, was found liable for Moore’s death under the doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for the wrongful acts committed by their employees. The jury ordered LaSalle and the facility to pay $23.25 million in punitive damages, meant to punish and deter similar misconduct, and $19.5 million in compensatory damages to Moore’s three adult children, designed to compensate them for their loss.
Legal experts have noted the significance of this verdict. Jay Aronson, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and author of the book “Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It,” remarked that the compensatory damages awarded in this case are among the largest he has ever encountered. The ruling underscores the growing scrutiny of private prison companies and their role in the handling of detainees, especially those with mental health challenges.
The Richwood Correctional Center had been under contract by the City of Monroe as its local jail facility from 2001 until 2019. LaSalle Management Company, which is affiliated with Richwood, operates several detention centers throughout Louisiana and Texas. Currently, the Richwood facility functions as a federal immigration detention center. In recent statements, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency described LaSalle as a crucial component of its detention system, highlighting the company’s ongoing influence in the corrections and detention landscape.
Efforts to obtain comment from LaSalle Management Company were unsuccessful, as neither the company’s attorneys nor spokespersons responded to inquiries. Similarly, the City of Monroe declined to provide any statements regarding the verdict or the circumstances surrounding Moore’s death.
Moore’s family has expressed a sense of vindication following the jury’s decision. Erie Moore Jr., one of Moore’s children, shared the emotional toll