Huerfano County jail staff denied dying inmate Michael Burch medical care for 8 days after tackle injury; he died in his cell
On March 28, 2023, a Huerfano County, Colorado detention officer tased and tackled 69-year-old inmate Michael Burch, fracturing six ribs and collapsing a lung, and jail staff and the facility's contracted healthcare provider then denied him hospital care despite his repeated pleas over the following eight days. Burch died in his cell at the Huerfano County Detention Center on April 4, 2023, and a coroner ruled the death a homicide.
Actors
- Huerfano County Sheriff's Office
- Stuart Pino (Huerfano County Detention Officer)
- Lea Vigil (Huerfano County Sheriff's Office Captain)
- Health Care Partners Foundation (contracted jail healthcare provider)
On March 28, 2023, a Huerfano County Detention Center officer, later identified as Deputy Stuart Pino, tased 69-year-old inmate Michael Burch after Burch made "slashing motions" with a miniature pencil in his cell, then tackled him into a metal bench. The impact fractured six of Burch's ribs, collapsed a lung, and caused internal bleeding and bruised intestines. Burch told paramedics his ribs were "crushed" and asked for hospital care; he was returned to a cell instead.
Surveillance video captured jail Captain Lea Vigil turning to a medical provider immediately after the incident and making a circular "crazy" gesture near her head, saying "Batshit." Over the following eight days, Burch repeatedly pleaded for help — jail video captured him calling "Help, help, help" from his cell — while jail staff and the facility's contracted healthcare provider, Health Care Partners Foundation, provided only a single telehealth mental-health consultation with an out-of-state nurse practitioner who did not identify his rib injuries. Burch died in his cell on April 4, 2023. An autopsy attributed his death to complications of blunt force trauma to his chest, and the coroner ruled it a homicide.
The Huerfano County District Attorney did not file criminal charges over the initial tasing and tackle, finding it a justified use of force in self-defense after Burch moved toward the officer. Burch's estate sued Huerfano County, the Sheriff's Office, and Health Care Partners Foundation in federal court in March 2025.
Updates
2026-07-08 — $10.2 million settlement reached [4, 5]
Huerfano County and its Sheriff's Office agreed to pay $9.19 million and Health Care Partners Foundation agreed to pay $1 million, a combined $10.2 million settlement, to Burch's estate. Family attorney Omeed Azmoudeh called the death a "horrific abuse of power" and called for Sheriff Bruce Newman to resign; attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai said of the medical neglect, "This isn't an oopsie. This isn't an 'I wish we'd trained you better.'"
Why we recorded this
Detained people retain a right to medical care, and that duty does not lapse once a cell door closes. Michael Burch spent eight days audibly pleading for help with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung while Huerfano County jail staff and its contracted healthcare provider withheld treatment, and a coroner ruled his death a homicide. This archive records the death because a homicide ruling, following eight documented days of denied care, establishes state neglect rather than an unavoidable death.
Sources
- Family sues southern Colorado sheriff after 69-year-old inmate died in county jail — Colorado Sun investigative accessed July 8, 2026
- Colorado man's jail cell death sparks lawsuit; "There was intent to punish," says lawyer — CBS Colorado investigative accessed July 8, 2026
- Lawsuit alleges staff at Huerfano County jail broke inmate's ribs, left him to die in cell despite pleas for help — KRDO investigative accessed July 8, 2026
- Colorado county, healthcare provider to pay $10.2 million after man slowly died in jail despite pleas for help — The Denver Post investigative accessed July 8, 2026
- Huerfano County settles with family of a man who died in custody for more than $9 million — Colorado Public Radio investigative accessed July 8, 2026
See also
- Connecticut prison officers struck and pepper-sprayed inmate J'Allen Jones, who died; medical examiner ruled the death a homicide
- York County PA jail failed to charge inmate's defibrillator vest and ignored chest-pain reports; he died within 48 hours of intake
- San Diego County sheriff's deputies ignored Bobby Ray Patton's pleas for help during Vista jail safety checks; he died hours later
- Cuyahoga County jail staff failed to give dying detainee Jennifer Wade CPR for more than 20 minutes
- Nevada prison guards beat inmate Malik Avila during cell extraction, causing fatal brain injury; coroner ruled death natural
Receive the daily digest by email
One email each morning with every entry filed the day before. Free. No tracking, no ads. Unsubscribe anytime.