A $6.35 million settlement has been reached in a federal civil rights lawsuit involving a former Lorain County inmate who suffered a broken neck and paralysis in 2023.
According to Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, the lawsuit filed in 2024 on behalf of Jeff Fry stated that Fry suffered catastrophic injuries after being slammed head-first into a wall and concrete floor by a corrections officer while his hands were handcuffed behind his back.
According to the complaint, after the incident, the defendants failed to provide appropriate medical care despite clear signs of a serious head, neck, and spinal cord injury.
“Jeff had a very, very strong sense that what happened to him was wrong, that it shouldn’t have happened and he was committed to standing up for himself and seeking justice to the extent he could,” said Fry's attorney Nick DiCello.
The law firm says that the settlement resolves claims against Lorain County, the City of Elyria, officer Ali Sebeiha, and other defendants. Additionally, the law firm says a portion of the settlement involving a private defendant remains confidential.
“Mr. Fry remained committed to seeing this case through despite the significant challenges he faced over the last three years,” said DiCello, partner at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber. “This resolution reflects the importance of holding public officials accountable when constitutional rights are violated and demonstrates that our civil justice system can provide meaningful access to justice for every individual.”
'You just broke my neck'
On May 12, 2023, Fry was arrested by Elyria police on a misdemeanor bench warrant and taken to the Lorain County jail for booking.
Video obtained by News 5 Investigators showed corrections officer Brian Tellier walking Fry to a room for a body scan. But along the way, surveillance video showed Fry, who was handcuffed, appear to turn away from Tellier, who was escorting him.
In a report to supervisors, Tellier wrote that Fry fell due to his “inebriated and unstable state,” and that Tellier “guided” Fry to the floor.
County records show the sheriff’s office opened an investigation into Tellier’s actions. A lieutenant found that Tellier used inappropriate and excessive force against Fry and falsified county records when he submitted inaccurate incident and use-of-force reports.
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Tellier was suspended from his job and eventually fire. He faced one charge of felonious assault, one charge of tampering with records involving an incident report and another charge of tampering with records involving a use of force report.
He was found not guilty.
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The incident predates current leadership at the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and the City of Elyria. In a copy of the settlement obtained by News 5, it says the parties denied allegations they violated Fry's civil rights.
When a new sheriff took office in 2025, new leadership began overseeing the jail. The new administration also created an inspector general position responsible for investigating use of force and other complaints.
DiCello said he believes Fry's case was part of the impetus for the new oversight.
“These jail environments are very difficult environments for sheriffs. And we understand that. But the folks in these jails have constitutional rights that need to be protected,” he said.
