Huerfano County will pay $9.2M after jailers left a man's six broken ribs untreated
Michael Burch, 69, died in the Huerfano County Detention Center on April 4, 2023, days after a detention officer tackled him into a metal bench over a pencil, leaving him with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. His requests for care went largely unanswered and his rib injuries were never treated. The coroner ruled his death a homicide, but then-District Attorney Henry Solano declined to file charges. Burch's estate sued the sheriff's office, county commission and jail medical provider. In June 2026 Huerfano County and the sheriff's office agreed to pay $9.2 million and Health Care Partners Foundation $1 million; a federal court dismissed the suit June 30, 2026. The county's insurance covers its share. Sheriff Bruce Newman, sued for failure to train, did not respond to the Denver Post and remains sheriff; no discipline has been reported.
Huefano County and the sheriff’s office will pay Burch’s estate $9.2 million, while Health Care Partners Foundation Inc. — the healthcare provider for the jail at the time — will pay an additional $1 million, according to a settlement agreement.
His death was ruled a homicide. But then-district attorney Henry Solano declined to press charges, unwilling to fight the guards’ argument that they acted in self-defense.
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CEO Rita Torres said it follows national correctional care standards and blamed the sheriff's office for blocking assessments.
No outcome recorded yet.