Clackamas jail staff pushed a restrained woman forward despite a warning label; she died
Gerlinde Spring Lynch, 47, died at the Clackamas County Jail on Feb. 18, 2026, shortly after booking. Video from a sergeant's phone, obtained by KPTV in August, shows her strapped in a restraint chair with a spit mask while more than a dozen jail staff surrounded her; she repeatedly said she could not breathe as deputies used their body weight to push her forward. The chair maker's instructions warn in red: "DO NOT LEAN DETAINEE FORWARD." The Oregon State Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, citing methamphetamine toxicity, physical restraint, obesity and heart disease. In June the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office declined charges, finding the evidence fell well below proof of criminal negligence. Her father has filed a notice of claim. The Sheriff's Office declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the newly obtained video, citing pending litigation.
methamphetamine toxicity, physical restraint, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease
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