Oregon Family Files Lawsuit Over Officer TikTok Use During Fatal Overdose

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of Nathan Bradford Smith, a 33-year-old man who died of heat stroke aggravated by methamphetamine intoxication after being left unattended in the back of a police car by Coos Bay officers in Oregon. The lawsuit accuses Officers Benjamin Martin, Tristan Smith, and Wesley O’Connor of negligence and deliberate indifference, alleging that while Smith was gasping for air and showing clear signs of medical distress, one officer ignored him for about 40 minutes to scroll through TikTok and send intimate text messages. Smith, who suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was handcuffed in a stressful position and left in a parked patrol car with the windows up on a 68-degree day, wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing that may have contributed to overheating. The officers had multiple encounters with Smith earlier the same day, during which they were aware of his substance use and erratic behavior, but instead of taking him to the nearby hospital, they placed him in the patrol car where he deteriorated. The family is seeking damages for the officers' abuse of a vulnerable person and failure to provide immediate medical care, spotlighting the critical need for appropriate responses to individuals in health emergencies. The City of Coos Bay has not yet commented on the allegations.