Family of Hardel Sherrell, who died in Beltrami County Jail in 2018, awarded $2.6 million

MINNEAPOLIS -- The family of a man who died in custody at the Beltrami County Jail in 2018 will receive a $2.6 million payout.

Hardel Sherrell died on Sept. 4, 2018 after he collapsed and became unresponsive due to a medical condition, county officials say. He had been temporarily detained at the jail when he died.

In February, a federal judge ordered Beltrami County and MEnD Correctional Care to pay Sherrell's father, mother, and grandmother, and descendants $2.6 million. MEnD Correctional Care filed for bankruptcy in December of 2022.

Sherrell's mother, Del Shea Perry, filed a lawsuit against Beltrami County and MEnD Correctional Care in 2019, accusing them of violating Sherrell's civil rights.

Sherrell's death sparked review by the Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell, who in 2020 said the death "uncovered longstanding and problematic processes that led to a failure to uncover the truth about what occurred during Mr. Sherrell's nine-day incarceration."

In August of last year, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension finished its own investigation into Sherrell's death and referred the case to the Beltrami County Attorney for consideration of criminal charges. The attorney then asked Attorney General Keith Ellison to review the case.

Sherrell had a criminal history that included a felony domestic abuse conviction, and charges of malicious punishment of a child in Dakota County.