County in Ohio to pay $1.1 million to settle suit about inmate beating death

Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- The family of a man who authorities say was beaten to death by his cellmate at the county jail in Cleveland will receive $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit against the facility.

Cleveland.com reports a Cuyahoga County judge approved the settlement last month, but it still must be approved by the county council. Shone Trawick's wife will receive more than $590,000 in the settlement, while his two daughters will each receive $50,000.

Trawick’s family had filed the suit last February, claiming county corrections officers should have isolated his accused killer from the jail’s general population because of his history of violence and inmate attacks. The family said the attack was unprovoked.

Trawick, 48, was serving six months in jail on misdemeanor charges when he was killed in November 2020. His cellmate, Edmond Hightower, has been charged with murder and felonious assault, and has pleaded not guilty.

At the time of the attack, Hightower was jailed on felonious assault charges that accused him of attacking his mother’s boyfriend.