The parents of a 26-year-old man who died in custody at the Potter County Detention Center in 2022 have settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the county. The details of the settlement are confidential, and both parties requested dismissal of the lawsuit late last week.
Larry Darrell Douglas, Jr. was arrested on February 25, 2022, following a traffic stop and booked into the Potter County jail. Within a week of his incarceration, he began reporting severe abdominal pain and nausea—symptoms that would persist until his death two weeks later. According to court filings and investigative reports, Douglas ultimately died from a ruptured appendix on March 9, a condition that medical experts consider highly treatable if caught early.
Timeline of Medical Complaints and Inmate Reports
On March 2, Douglas reportedly began complaining to jail staff about intense stomach pain. On March 5, he was examined by medical personnel and diagnosed with a suspected urinary tract infection. He was prescribed antibiotics and ibuprofen. No imaging or additional diagnostics were performed, according to documents filed in court.
By March 9, his symptoms had worsened. That morning, Douglas was administered the anti-nausea medication Zofran. According to witness statements from fellow inmates, Douglas had been visibly suffering for days—vomiting, unable to eat, and holding his abdomen in pain. Detainees housed with him said they repeatedly submitted medical requests on his behalf, many of which they claimed were ignored.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on March 9, jail surveillance footage reviewed by the Texas Rangers reportedly shows Douglas collapsing in his cell. Jail staff arrived minutes later, placed him in a wheelchair, and transferred him to the jail’s medical unit. He was placed in a medical cell, where he remained for nearly 12 hours, awaiting evaluation by a nurse practitioner scheduled for the following morning.
Surveillance Footage and Final Hours
Footage from the medical cell, detailed in Texas Rangers’ summaries and included in court documents, indicates that Douglas remained in severe distress throughout the day. He was seen vomiting multiple times and appeared unable to lie down comfortably. At one point, he covered the air vent with paper—an action possibly reflecting distress or an attempt to regulate the temperature in the cell.
At approximately 10 p.m., Douglas appeared to lose balance while leaning over the sink. He struck his head against the wall and lay down on the floor. Shortly afterward, he began vomiting again while lying on his back. His last recorded movement was at 10:17 p.m.
Medical staff responded at 10:23 p.m. and began resuscitation efforts. He was pronounced dead later that night.
An autopsy later concluded the cause of death was acute peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. Peritonitis is a severe and often fatal infection of the abdominal lining, typically resulting from a ruptured organ. In most medical settings, appendicitis is considered highly treatable with timely surgical intervention.
Legal Proceedings and Settlement
Two years after Douglas’s death, in February 2024, his parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court, alleging that Potter County failed to provide adequate medical care and that this negligence directly resulted in their son’s death. The lawsuit did not initially specify an amount for damages but sought accountability for what the plaintiffs described as systemic medical neglect.
In its legal response, Potter County denied all allegations. Attorneys for the county argued that Douglas’s death did not result from any policy or practice of the county or its sheriff’s office. The county specifically denied that it violated Douglas’s constitutional rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, which protect incarcerated individuals from cruel and unusual punishment and guarantee due process.
In late April 2025, both parties filed a joint motion to pause all court deadlines, signaling that a settlement was in progress. On Saturday, June 7, they notified the court that they had reached a final agreement. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk officially closed the case.
