Nurse describes inmate attack in lawsuit | Crime/Police

A nurse who says she was attacked by an inmate at the Orleans Parish jail last year has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and two of her deputies.

Gina Quincy worked as a registered nurse at Wellpath, the health care system previously contracted by the city to care for inmates at the Orleans Parish Justice Center.

A lawyer for Quincy wrote in court documents that she was working at the prison’s intake center at 5 a.m. on May 25, 2023, when a man incarcerated there lunged at her, grabbed her and forced her to the ground.

Quincy’s lawsuit for damages was filed on Wednesday. The prison is struggling with overcrowding and understaffing, and there have been several stabbings and arsons in the last year alone.

The man, 32-year-old August Jones, was arrested shortly after the alleged attack on a charge of assault on a correctional facility employee. He is currently in a psychiatric hospital awaiting a hearing in June to determine his mental competency.

Shortly before the attack, Jones had approached Quincy’s work area, according to the lawsuit. He was told to return to the general waiting area, but failed to do so. Jones then allegedly grabbed Quincy by the chest and other parts of her body, causing her to fall out of her chair and onto the floor. Jones continued to attack her for several minutes until officers noticed him and detained him, records say.

Quincy’s attorney argued that the attack was ultimately due to a lack of staff. That day, guards did not put all of the inmates in one cell, but instead brought them out one at a time or in groups of three due to staffing shortages, the lawsuit says.

The prosecution blames the officers who were on duty at the time of the attack. Quincy, who is referred to in the suit under the pseudonyms John Doe and Richard Roe, argued that the men – whose names are not mentioned in the suit – “recklessly” failed to protect her.

“The defendants acted with willful indifference to the plaintiff’s safety and well-being,” the lawsuit states.

Quincy’s attorney also argued that Hutson should be held liable, calling the attack a result of her “failure to ensure adequate staffing and staffing plans” at the prison.

Attempts to reach representatives of the sheriff’s office were not immediately possible.