On Sept. 30, 2017, plaintiff Roland Vaughan, a former Army Ranger who volunteered as a photographer and videographer for the Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge, was being housed at the Men’s Central Jail, in Los Angeles. He was awaiting trial after being arrested in an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident. While Vaughan and 10 to 15 inmates in his unit were exercising on the jail’s roof exercise yard, custody deputies brought up a larger group of inmates who were supposed to be separated from the general prison population. Vaughan was attacked by some of the inmates, and he claimed to his right arm. Vaughan sued the custody deputies, Anthony Lascano, Ji Yu, Chris Lee and Robert Sako; and the custody deputies’ employer, the county of Los Angeles. Vaughan alleged that the custody deputies violated his civil and constitutional rights and that the county negligently trained and supervised the deputies. Vaughan’s counsel contended that the separated inmates were pepper-sprayed by deputies before they were sent to the roof, as they had been involved in a riot. Per Vaughan, the deputies separated the inmates from Vaughan’s group by a partition and then left. Vaughan claimed that the separated inmates broke through the partition and attacked him and others in his group. Vaughan’s counsel contended that the 10- to 20-minute incident was recorded on the jail’s cameras and that none of the deputies or other staff intervened. Defense counsel contended that the inmates who were brought to the roof had to be evacuated from their housing due to the riot. Counsel maintained that unavoidable and exigent circumstances necessitated putting the two different groups of inmates on the roof at the same time. The defense contended that the deputies separated the inmates from Vaughan’s group by a locked fence, but that the separated inmates broke through the locked gate. Counsel asserted that the locked gate separating the two yards had never been previously breached, so the deputies believed that the inmates were safely separated. Counsel further asserted that Vaughan actively participated in the scuffle among the inmates., Vaughan claimed he suffered an abrasion near his elbow on his right, dominant arm that later became infected. He alleged that, despite his repeated requests to be seen by medical personnel, he was not fully examined by a doctor until he was hospitalized 10 days later. While at the hospital on Oct. 10, 2017, Vaughan was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis. He was told that he needed immediate surgery and that there was a 50 percent chance he would not survive. All of the skin to the muscle on Vaughan’s right arm between his elbow and his knuckles was removed, and the necrotic tissue was debrided. Skin from his upper thigh was then grafted onto the wound. Vaughan was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 23, 2017. Vaughan claimed that he is left with a permanent disfigurement of his right arm. He also claimed he suffers from neuropathy, pain, tingling, numbness and a lack of mobility to his right hand, affecting his ability to use it. He alleged that he will need ongoing medical care. Vaughan sought recovery of future medical costs, and damages for his past and future pain and suffering. Defense counsel contended that Vaughan was taken for immediate medical care and that Vaughan received exemplary medical care thereafter. The defense also argued that Vaughan had a light decrease in the range of motion of his right hand and that Vaughan was unemployed and receiving 100 percent disability from the military due to prior significant sustained while deployed.