Family of man beaten to death in Cook County Jail files wrongful death suit against sheriff
The family of a man beaten to death inside Cook County Jail has filed a wrongful death suit against the sheriff's office, alleging they knowingly placed the man in a cell with four other individuals — including one with a history of violence toward fellow inmates.
Johnny Hendrix III, 29, was inside the hospital wing of the Cook County Jail the morning of Aug. 8, 2023, when he was attacked by another cellmate, who now faces murder charges, according to the lawsuit.
“He should not have died in that manner, so brutally,” Hendrix’s mother, Mikki Fischer, said at a news conference Wednesday, holding back tears. “He didn't have a chance to run or fight. He didn't have a chance to defend himself. … I want justice for my son.”
According to the lawsuit filed earlier this month, Hendrix was being housed in a cell with four other individuals, all of whom were suffering from mental health issues.
One of those cellmates, Daquan Houston, had a history of violent acts against both inmates and correctional officers dating back to 2014, according to attorneys for the Hendrix family.
“When the sheriff’s staff made the decision to put Houston in that cell and with several other inmates … unrestrained in any way, the sheriff knew, based on the jail records we have, that Houston posed an obvious danger to other inmate safety.”
The sheriff’s office would not comment on pending litigation but said in a statement Wednesday, “the Office strongly denies these allegations and looks forward to a full presentation of the facts in Court.”
From left: Malikah Hendrix, sister of Johnny Hendrix III, attorney Al Hofeld Jr., Hendrix’s mother, Mikki Fischer, and attorney Jordan Powell attend a news conference at the Law Offices of Al Hofeld, Jr. LLC in the Loop, where they announced a wrongful death lawsuit against Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart and others.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The sheriff’s office initially reported that a fight broke out in the cell between Hendrix and Houston, but the family's attorneys maintain that “there was no fight.”
According to the suit, “without reason or provocation,” Houston began beating Hendrix, who never fought back.
By the time sheriff's personnel entered the cell, Hendrix was lying unresponsive in a pool of blood.
“He didn't deserve to be put in that situation, to not be able to escape or be able to cry for help, and [now] I'm never going to be able to see my brother again,” his sister Malikah Hendrix said Wednesday.
Hendrix had a history of mental illness and a criminal background, mostly nonviolent charges of theft or disorderly conduct.
On Aug. 4, 2023, Lynwood police officers found Hendrix sleeping in his car and arrested him on trespassing charges and for outstanding warrants out of Wisconsin.
He was transferred to Cook County Jail and appeared in court, where he was given a bond of $250 and was set to be extradited to Wisconsin, according to the family's attorneys. Two days later, the attack occurred.
“This is just reckless and negligent on behalf of Cook County, that a misdemeanor can take a life,” Hendrix’s mother said.
Hendrix was transported from the jail to Mount Sinai Hospital, and it was the hospital that alerted the family to his death — no one from the jail reached out, according to the family’s attorney.
“There were no answers from Cook County Jail, from any police department on the South Side, Lynwood or any department that I called. I was not getting any information, and it was very frustrating, emotionally distressing,” Hendrix’s mother said. “It's just been horrific, all of the details surrounding this whole case.”
According to the family’s attorneys, this experience is not unique. An Injustice Watch investigation found 18 people died in Cook County Jail in 2023, the deadliest year in decades, and families of at least six of those victims said the sheriff's office failed to provide them with basic information.
The attorneys for the Hendrix family said they were forced to file a court motion to get the sheriff’s office to hand over the internal investigation and other “basic files.”
The attorneys are still waiting on records from Cermak Health Services, which handles medical services for those incarcerated.
The lawsuit names Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and 19 sheriff deputies. Attorneys expect they may add additional defendants after receiving records from Cermak Health Services.