New documents: Jail stabbing suspect filed lawsuit last month, has history of mental illness

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The man who is accused of stabbing a Milwaukee County jail sergeant has a history of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, according to a host of court documents that are shedding light on the suspect.

The sheriff's office said the sergeant was stabbed Tuesday morning by a man who had recently been released from the jail.

We tracked down the name of that suspect via several court records, and law enforcement sources have confirmed his identity. We're not naming him at this time because he has not yet been charged, but we are learning more about his past, and his time in jail.

Newly secured court filings read "I was force [sic] to perform labor", "I was taken advantage by all parties," and "while on suicid i [sic] was tazed multiple time."

Those claims come from a lawsuit filed last month by the man accused of stabbing a Milwaukee County corrections officer Tuesday.

The handwritten filing is against the county, two officers, and others. It's several pages long and alleges he was denied multiple psychological evaluations after multiple suicide attempts.

The sergeant that was stabbed has not been identified yet, so it's unclear if he is named in the lawsuit or if he was targeted by the suspect.

On Tuesday, Chief Deputy Daniel Hughes of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said at a news conference, "Well, we believe it was intentionally done, and I'll leave it at that. It's part of the investigation that's going on."

He added, "We are outraged by this attack on one of our own, who was just trying to come into work to serve the citizens of Milwaukee County."

The court records detail several psychological evaluations in which a psychologist details the suspect's "history of severe mental illness," adding his stability depends on prescribed medication.

A lengthy criminal record goes back to 2006, and includes multiple domestic abuse, battery, and stalking charges.

But the suspect has also attacked officers in the past.

The most recent incident came in the spring of 2023, when he was charged with battery and disorderly conduct for punching a jail officer.

A complaint reads "He also began kicking multiple corrections officers", and "Officers eventually had to use force to restrain the defendant."

In January of this year, he was found not guilty of those charges by reason of mental disease or defect.

On Feb. 1, he was released from custody after serving 237 days in jail.

When asked this week, the sheriff's office would not speculate on whether the stabbing was a targeted attack.

Hughes said, "The investigation will play itself out. When MPD gets done with the interviews, and their background to the investigation itself, I think we'll have an answer at that point."

The sergeant is now stable and expected to survive, according to the latest update from the sheriff's office.

The suspect has not yet been officially charged by the district attorney's office, and so no court date has been set yet.