An Oregon police officer is accused of leaving a mentally ill man to die in the back of a parked patrol car while watching TikToks and exchanging intimate text messages, according to a lawsuit filed by the victim’s family, per KCBY.
Nathan Bradford Smith, 33, died of heat stroke, worsened by methamphetamine use, after his arrest in Coos Bay in July 2024.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, names Officers Benjamin Martin, Tristan Smith, and Wesley O’Connor, as well as the City of Coos Bay, alleging they ignored clear signs of medical distress and failed to provide timely care.
Smith, who had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was taken into custody after multiple encounters with police, including one in which he was found smoking methamphetamine and speaking incoherently.
On the afternoon of July 7, officers responded to reports of a man lying outside a Motel 6 wearing a heavy coat and rain pants in warm weather.
Callers told 911 operators they were concerned for his safety, with one saying he was “flailing around” on the ground, the New York Post reports.
When officers arrived, they allegedly found Smith struggling to breathe. A state police officer who later reviewed body camera footage said Smith was gasping for air as he was handcuffed, barely able to get into the patrol car, and had his eyes closed.
Martin drove him to the Coos Bay Police Department and parked with the windows up on a 68-degree day, the complaint states.
Inside the station, Martin allegedly responded to a message saying: “I’m so ready for snuggles I feel like I haven’t seen you in a week,” and then spent several minutes watching TikTok videos while Smith remained in the back of the car, as reported by the New York Post.
When Martin returned, dashcam footage reportedly showed Smith unconscious, his head tilted back, breathing in an abnormal pattern. The officer administered Narcan, suspecting an overdose, and called for paramedics.
Smith was found with a body temperature of 107 degrees and was rushed to Bay Area Hospital, where he later died of cardiac arrest, Oregon Live details.
Court documents list the cause of death as “hyperthermia due to methamphetamine intoxication and probable exogenous contribution from wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing.”
The family’s attorney, Juan Chavez, said there was a 40-minute delay in getting Smith urgent medical care.
Smith’s father, Kurt Smith, said police never told him how his son died, and he only learned the cause of death from the funeral home. “He didn’t deserve to just be left to die,” he said.
No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the incident. The family is seeking unspecified damages.