ATLANTA — The family of a dead Georgia state prisoner is expected to get $4 million in a settlement agreement after suing the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The family of David Henegar sued GDOC after saying guards knew he was in danger but would not act to prevent his being attacked while at Johnson State Prison.
After he was hurt, Henegar’s family said guards took no action to help following the attack.
The lawsuit alleged that guards heard the attack, heard Henegar begging for his life and asking to be separated, but just told him to “deal with it.”
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Henegar died on Oct. 16, 2021 after his cellmate “hogtied” him and beat and choked him in the cell.
Betty Wade, Henegar’s sister, accepted a $4 million settlement on behalf of his estate from the lawsuit filed against guards that Wade’s attorney said “allegedly stood by and let Mr. Henegar get beaten to death over the course of five hours.”
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Even after the attack, attorneys for Henegar’s family said guards went through the cellblock on rounds, saw him lying on the floor with a sheet over his body but did not check on his health and wellbeing.
When guards entered the cell hours later, they found Henegar dead from strangulation and blunt force trauma.
“This was a completely preventable tragedy,” attorney Megan Pierce of Loevy + Loevy said in a statement. “If any one of a number of prison officials had simply done their jobs, let alone shown one ounce of concern for David Henegar’s welfare, he would still be alive today.”
The case was set to go to trial but a settlement with state officials was reached a week before the start, according to Loevy + Leovy.
“The state has a duty to care for, and protect, people in its custody, and Georgia repeatedly and tragically failed that duty in regard to David Henegar,” attorney Rachel Brady said. “David deserved to be treated with dignity. He deserved to be protected and cared for, both because he was a human being, and because the United States Constitution required it. He deserved better than he got, and we can only hope this settlement helps convince the Georgia Department of Corrections, in the future, to do better by the people in their care.”
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Georgia Department of Corrections for a statement and is waiting for a response.
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