Insurance Fund Reaches Settlement in North Dakota Jail Death Lawsuit

The insurance carrier for the sheriff’s departments in Ward and Burleigh counties has reached a settlement with the family of a jail inmate who died in October 2014.

Ward Sheriff’s Maj. Bob Barnard confirmed the settlement but didn’t release details. The Minot Daily News reports court records indicate the settlement is for $230,000. North Dakota’s Insurance Reserve Fund represented the counties.

Twenty-five-year-old Dustin Irwin, of Mandaree, died at a hospital after going into cardiac arrest. The sheriff’s departments in both counties handled Irwin at some point.

The state Corrections Department determined that Ward jail officials failed to give Irwin proper supervision or medical treatment.

Ward Sheriff Steve Kukowski and now-retired Capt. Michael Nason face misdemeanor criminal charges in Irwin’s death. Defense attorneys have denied that their clients did anything wrong.