PINE BUSH – A $10 million lawsuit was filed on Monday, April 19, by the parents of Richard Vandemark, who killed himself a year ago in the Ulster County Jail. Targets of the suit are Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum, three corrections officers, and Correctional Medical Care, Inc., which operates the medical unit at the jail. Representing Vandemark's parents is Attorney Michael Sussman.

On the night of April 7, 2009, 22-year-old Richard Vandemark was arrested by Ulster County Sherrif's officers at the end of a confused evening of drinking that resulted in a fight with a neighbor. At a critical point, Vandemark, intoxicated, had taken a kitchen knife and gone to confront the neighbor. Both the neighbor and Vandemark were injured, and when deputies arrived on the scene they found two other people restraining Vandemark.

He was arrested, charged with felony assault, arraigned in Shawangunk Town Court, and sent to the Ulster County Jail on $5,000 bail.

At the jail he was apparently put through the screening process under the guidelines for preventing suicides. A State Commission of Correction report prepared afterwards noted that Vandemark, during this screening, gave indications of "clear and imminent risk for suicide attempt."

However, he was not regarded as an emergency case in his referral to the jail's medical unit.The procedures followed during this case do not appear to have conformed to the overall suicide prevention policy. In particular, there are questions about the degree of supervision that he received.

Vandemark was later found in the shower area hanging by a bed sheet tied to a curtain rod.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Albany, follows on the heels of the State Commission of Correction report, with its damning conclusion that there had been a failure to both assess Richard Vandemark correctly, and to supervise him in the manner laid down in the guidelines.

Sheriff Van Blarcum has not commented on the case at this point. Calls to Correctional Medical Care were not returned in time for this article.