Deschutes County jail staff broke a handcuffed inmate’s thumb, tore ligaments in his fingers and fractured his wrist while removing his ring at the jail in January 2022, according to a federal lawsuit alleging use of excessive force.

Bryan Martin Beyer, 48, of Bend, is suing Deschutes County and its jail staff, alleging the use of force constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court Jan. 5.

Beyer also accuses jail staff — including Sgt. Michael Molan, Sgt. Andrew Farley and deputy Broch Inghram — of negligence and battery and seeks an undisclosed amount in damages from the county, the lawsuit states.

“What happened to Mr. Beyer was the result of the exact kind of unreasonableness we see in jails across the country and in Oregon,” Juan C. Chavez, Beyer’s attorney, said in an email. “Had the officers taken the time to be reasonable and talk to Mr. Beyer, they could have gotten the ring off his finger without an ambush and without breaking his bones. They chose violence instead of reason.”

Beyer was in a jail holding cell with stitches on his head on Jan. 6, 2022, after he was attacked by another inmate, the lawsuit states.

At the time, Beyer had been indicted on a slew of charges stemming from a police chase that ended in a three-way car accident in November 2021. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 34 months in prison.

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While Beyer was in the jail cell, a deputy noticed he was wearing a ring on his thumb and told him he needed to take it off, the lawsuit states. Beyer said the ring was custom-made and, because of its size, he would need lubricant or a tool to remove it, the lawsuit states.

At around 3:30 p.m., Farley and Inghram went into the cell and placed Beyer in handcuffs, the lawsuit states. Then — along with Molan — they “violently” pushed Beyer up against the wall and Molan “forcibly removed” the ring, according to the lawsuit.

“In the process, Sergeant Molan broke (Beyer’s) thumb in two places and tore ligaments in his thumb and in his index finger,” the lawsuit states. They also “fractured (Beyer’s) left wrist in the process, and caused injury to his right wrist, including ligament tears.”

Deputies initially refused to have Beyer’s thumb examined, but eventually photographed the injury and examined his thumb, the lawsuit states. Beyer’s “arm was black and blue from his thumb to his elbow,” according to the lawsuit.

Jail staff eventually X-rayed Beyer’s thumb but didn’t give him the results and didn’t X-ray his left arm, the lawsuit states.

Seven days later, Beyer was transferred to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. He has since been released from prison, Chavez said.

A former construction worker, Beyer now struggles with limited mobility in his wrist, aching and popping in his fingers and numbness and early onset arthritis in his hands, the lawsuit states.

Attempts to reach Beyer by phone were unsuccessful.

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“As this matter is currently in litigation, the County declines to comment other than to state that it denies the allegations and intends to vigorously defend against them,” the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to The Bulletin.

Sgt. Jason Wall said jail staff remove jewelry from inmates to ensure they do not injure themselves, other inmates or staff.

Beyer’s is the latest legal action filed against the jail.

In 2019, the mother of a deceased jail inmate, Bryan Penner, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against county authorities, alleging they were deliberately indifferent before he hanged himself by a towel in the jail shower in March 2018. The suit is ongoing, according to court records.

In December 2022, a Deschutes County jail inmate was beaten by another inmate, but he alleges he wasn’t taken to the hospital for 75 days. He was later diagnosed with ear and skull injuries, according to a tort claim against the county, indicating he plans to sue for negligence.

In February 2023 at the Deschutes County jail, one incarcerated woman used a bed sheet, hook and stool in her cell to take her own life, according to records filed by a family member’s attorney. Her family has also filed a tort claim, alleging negligence.