Summary: A man claims jail officials ignored his pleas to help him with his long-lasting erection.
In 2016, an inmate in Oklahoma had an erection that lasted for days. Instead of getting medical help, however, he said that jail officials laughed at him and caused him needless physical pain. Now he is suing the jail for $5 million, according to Tulsa World.
Dustin Lance, 32, said that Pittsburg County Jail violated his civil rights when they ignored his pleas for help after he suffered from a 91-hour erection. He said that the epic erection gave him permanent damage, and that it had started after he took a pill that was offered to him by another inmate.
The jailhouse erection began December 15, 2016, and Lance filed his lawsuit on September 18, 2017. Lance said that on December 15 he had asked jail personnel to help him lose his erection, and that instead of giving him medical care, they mocked him. Four days later, Lance complained about “unbearable pain,” and he was finally transported to McAlester Regional Hospital.
Doctors at McAlester said they were unable to treat him, and he was told to see a urologist in Tulsa. Instead of taking him to the urologist, Lance said that officials arranged for him to return to jail so that he could be released on his own recognizance.
Lance is suing Pittsburg County Sheriff Chris Morris, the Pittsburg County Board of County Commissioners, three sheriff’s deputies, and eleven other individuals. County officials filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday, saying that Lance had died and that the lawsuit should have been filed by his estate.
Lance’s attorney, Jon Williford, said that his client is very much alive and attributed the death mistake to a “scrivener’s error.” Williford said that he would remove all references of Lance’s death in the lawsuit paperwork.
Lance was arrested for burglary and possession of controlled dangerous substances, but his charges were later reduced to breaking and entering a dwelling without permission. His criminal case is still pending in Pittsburg County District Court.
Although it is unclear what mystery pill Lance took from a jail mate, leading pills that treat erectile dysfunction like Viagara advise users to seek medical treatment if they have erections that last longer than four hours.
According to Slate, a man who has a painful erection for longer than 12 hours can have permanent damage.
“Priapism, a rare condition defined by prolonged erections in the absence of sexual arousal, is associated with certain blood diseases, hypertension, and recreational drug use. No matter what its cause, priapism can be dangerous if left untreated. A man who has a painful erection for more than 12 hours is at high risk for permanent damage,” Slate said.