Editors note: this story was updated on Sept. 5 at 9:02 a.m. to reflect that Shannon Hanchett died in the Cleveland County Detention Center, not the Clark County Detention Center.
The husband of Shannon Hanchett, the "Cookie Queen," plans to refile a federal lawsuit claiming the Cleveland County Detention Center denied her constitutional rights and contributed to her death.
Daniel Hanchett, the late husband of Shannon Hanchett, filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year, claiming his wife’s constitutional rights were violated.
The lawsuit, filed against the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Turn Key Health Clinics and three medical professionals, was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones in August.
In the dismissal, Jones found insufficient evidence showing that medical personnel and law enforcement were indifferent to Hanchett’s medical needs.
On the evening of Dec. 7, 2022, jail staff found Hanchett unresponsive on the floor of her jail cell. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at about 1 a.m. on Dec. 8.
According to the Norman Police Department, Hanchett told jail staff she suffered from bipolar disorder and lupus during booking but refused to answer further questions.
The lawsuit claims medical professionals did not evaluate Hanchett for four days. She was not administered psychotropic medication, and she was left alone in her cell in a catatonic state, according to the lawsuit.
In an interview with News 9, Daniel Smolen, Daniel Hanchett’s attorney, said surveillance footage of Hanchett’s confinement and death while in the Cleveland County Detention Center has since been produced under a federal protective order. Smolen said the footage also proves the medical records create a false depiction of Hanchett’s care.
While medical staff reported that Hanchett displayed suicidal ideation and was severely dehydrated, a health inspector discovered jailers routinely missed 15-minute sight checks required under state law.
“The upcoming amended complaint will, for the first time, educate the court of the horrific treatment by Cleveland County jail staff and Turn Key employees alike and explain how that treatment directly caused Shannon’s completely preventable death,” Smolen told News 9.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele. Kylie Caldwell and Avery Avery copy edited this story.
