Family to sue Whitman County over psychologist's death in jail

Bill Stevenson, Whitman County Gazette | Feb 25, 20210

Whitman%20County%20Sheriff%20Correctional%20Facility

Justin Slayton | Whitman County Gazette count

Whitman County Sheriff Correctional Facility located in Colfax, Washington.

COLFAX – The family of a Pullman psychologist is threatening to sue Whitman County for his suicide in jail.

In 2018 Dean Funabiki was found hanging in a Whitman county jail cell and died on the way to the hospital. He was arrested for rape in the second degree on Friday and found two days later.

The 67-year-old was accused of sexually assaulting a patient in her 40s. The Washington State Patrol stated they had DNA evidence matching Funabiki to swabs taken from his victim.

The family is threatening to sue the county and unnamed jail staff in federal court, according to Spokane news media. The f...