Linn County pays $85K to inmate assaulted in jail

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County has agreed to pay an Oelwein man who was beaten and seriously injured by two inmates inside the county jail last year an $85,000 settlement of his federal lawsuit.

Ethan Palmer dismissed his suit last week against Sheriff Brian Gardner, jailer Pete Wilson and others in the sheriff’s office. The Gazette reported in June that Palmer and the county had reached a tentative settlement but details had not been announced.

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Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks confirmed the $85,000 settlement Tuesday. He declined to provide further comment. Jeremiah Junker, one of Palmer’s lawyers, didn’t immediately reply to an email requesting comment Tuesday.

Other defendants initially named in the lawsuit — agents with the U.S. Marshals Service — were dropped last year, shortly after suit was filed.

Lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, Palmer asserted that in retribution for reporting and assisting in an investigation and prosecution of Justin Michael Buehler, 39, who was convicted and sentenced to 30 years for distributing methamphetamine, he was severely beaten by inmates Johnny Blahnik Church, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, and Gregory Sills, on May 27, 2022, while in custody in the Linn County Jail.

On Jan. 7, 2019, Palmer gave federal agents information that Buehler regularly sold meth to other employees at Pries Manufacturing in Independence, according to the suit. Later that month, Palmer made controlled purchases of meth from Buehler to assist in the investigation.

Authorities arrested Buehler and put him in the Linn County Jail pending his trial.

Palmer was taken from his home on May 27, 2022, by the U.S. Marshals Service as a material witness and also placed in the Linn County Jail pending his testimony in Buehler’s trial.

The same day, Buehler was being transferred out of jail — but before he left, he spoke with Blahnik Church, 36, of Marion, and Sills, 50, of Cedar Rapids, about Palmer being arrested and would likely be placed in the jail.

Buehler told Blahnik Church to assault Palmer and Blahnik Church agreed. Buehler also told the entire cellblock that Palmer was an informant for federal prosecutors, the suit asserted.

On May 27, 2022, Palmer was dragged by Blahnik Church from the bathroom and thrown against a table. Blahnik Church then grabbed Palmer and punched him in the face several times, while Sills kicked Palmer in the head. Blahnik Church then hit Palmer over the head with a dinner tray two times and threw Palmer into a table again, according to the suit.

Palmer, after regaining consciousness, alerted jail staff on an emergency call button.

Blahnik Church was sentenced last November and Sills was sentenced in June, each to 10 years, for their roles in the attack and assault.

The room where Palmer was assaulted is monitored by live video surveillance but none of the deputies or jailers came to Palmer’s aid during the attack, according to the suit.

Palmer was treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for extensive injuries, including facial trauma, an orbital fracture, broken nose and teeth and a fractured knee.

Palmer was transferred to the Hardin County Jail and then testified June 7, 2022, in Buehler’s trial, where he was convicted.

In August 2022, Gardner told The Gazette that none of the jail staff witnessed the assault. In reviewing surveillance video, jail administration said that “from the time the assault started until the time Palmer was removed from the cell block was just over three minutes.”

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