In 2018, Brian Lawler, known to WWE fans as Grandmaster Sexay, took his own life while in a jail cell in Tennessee.
Now, after a year of investigation into the claims, Jerry “The King” Lawler is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Hardeman County, claiming the sheriff is responsible for his son’s death.
Lawler is seeking $3 million in the lawsuit, TMZ reports.
Brian Lawler suffered from depression and addiction issues. According to Lawler’s attorney Jeffrey Rosenblum, Brian told the officers at the time of his 2018 arrest that he had attempted suicide in 2013 and 2015.
Rosenblum also claims that another inmate attacked Brian in the cell. Brian suffered a head injury, eye gash, and a “possible concussion.” The lawsuit alleges that the officials refused to provide Brian with medical help.
After the attack, Rosenblum claims officials put Brian into solitary confinement and allowed him to keep his shoes and shoelaces. Brian used the shoelaces to hang himself in the cell after that.
Jerry Lawler claims that he met with the sheriff while Brian was in jail and chose not to bail him out at the time because he was promised Brian would get the help he needed, including drug and alcohol treatment.
The lawsuit also claims that the officials at the jail saw Brian in the corner of his cell with a towel over his head not moving but Lawler said that they took the trash out before checking on him. Lawler believes that this lost time could have saved Brian’s life.
Rosenblum concluded by saying that the lawsuit is meant to hold the officials accountable for the death of Brian Lawler. All money awarded in the lawsuit will go toward supporting Brian’s son.
The lawsuit is also demanding an apology from the sheriff’s department and that changes are made to assure that nothing like this can happen to a prisoner again.