FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) _ The widow of an Ohio man who died after being repeatedly pepper sprayed in a southwest Florida jail has settled her wrongful death lawsuit against the county’s sheriff, the jail’s medical provider and several deputies and nurses.
Nicholas Christie died in 2009 after being restrained and repeatedly exposed to pepper spray at the Lee County jail.
Joyce Christie’s attorney said the settlement reached Wednesday was “well into the seven figures.”
Nicholas Christie was visiting Naples when he stopped taking his medications and began acting erratically.
He was arrested on trespassing charges at a North Fort Myers motel.
The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and said the pepper spray was a contributing factor that led to heart and brain failure.
The state attorney’s office declined to prosecute the case.
