JAIL, ATTORNEY SAY DONS WASN'T SUICIDAL

A sheriff's spokesman says the office made extra efforts to treat the
inmate accused of killing a police officer

Steven Douglas Dons talked about the subject of suicide but never indicated
he was contemplating killing himself, a Multnomah County sheriff's
spokesman said Thursday.

The man accused of killing a police officer and who killed himself
Wednesday in his jail medical room was like many inmates, said sheriff's
Lt. Brian Martinek.

Dons used talk of suicide as a way to toy with jail staff.

"He talked about it like 90 percent of the people who come here," Martinek
said. "He was playing with that fact."

Dons would tell the staff that he could commit suicide if he wanted.

"The next minute he would say something like, `But I'm not going to do that
because I'm not going to give you guys the satisfaction,'" Martinek said.

That is not enough to place an inmate on suicide watch, he said.

The sheriff's office explained Dons' comments because of confusion about
whether he was suicidal and questions about whether jail staff should have
done more to prevent his death.

But the jail made extreme efforts to treat Dons, Martinek said. For
example, the jail special-ordered an electrical adjustable hospital bed.
The staff had the side railings modified and did not put the T-bar over the
bed until he was evaluated.

"That doesn't indicate to me that this facility wasn't going the extra mile
for this person," Martinek said.

Dons' attorney, Andrew Bates, said Dons did not seem suicidal. On
Wednesday, Bates said he had information about treatment that Dons received
that might have a bearing on his death.

But the sheriff's office had not heard from Bates on Thursday.

"He should have given that to us yesterday morning," Martinek said.

Bates, who called for an independent investigation of Dons' death, was
unavailable for comment Thursday. Dons' co-counsel, Gwenn Butkovsky, said
defense investigators were still compiling the information.

"We have concerns about the atmosphere in terms of how people are treated
and responded to," she said.

Martinek said Dons was taking four types of medication: an antibiotic for
an infection related to his catheter; a painkiller; a stool softener; and a
muscle relaxant because of his paralysis. He was not taking medication for
depression.

Officials will not release Dons' medical records because state law requires
the patient or the executor of his estate to give permission, said Kathy
Page, director of the Corrections Health Division of the Multnomah County
Health Department.

Page said she could not comment on Dons because of an investigation by the
East County Major Crimes Team, but she said the jail has an extensive
screening and treatment program for people with mental problems.

When prisoners are booked, the jail staff talks to the arresting officer to
help determine whether the person has a physical or mental ailment, Page
said. During the booking process, each inmate is interviewed by a nurse who
asks at least 17 medical questions. They include whether the person is on
medication, is suicidal or has ever attempted suicide.

Even after the inmate is booked, corrections deputies and medical staff
look for signs of depression or suicidal tendencies.

"They will always act on the conservative side," Page said.

If an inmate is judged to be suicidal, he or she is placed in a separation
cell on the intake floor.

Because of the constant traffic of corrections deputies, the inmates
receive a lot of supervision, Page said.

There are two types of suicide watch - constant and every 10 minutes.
Inmates on suicide watch are restricted and not allowed items such as
eating utensils and normal bedding and clothing.

But inmates are allowed to stay on the booking floor for only 72 hours. If
they stay longer at the jail, they might be placed in one of 10 mental
health cells or one of the 10 medical rooms, Page said.