Man who had to remove prosthetic leg in Michigan jail loses lawsuit

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — A man who claimed his rights were violated when he was forced to remove his prosthetic leg in jail has lost a lawsuit against an Upper Peninsula county.

Ralph Keller's meals were delivered to him, and he was allowed to use a wheelchair outside his cell at the Chippewa County jail, a federal appeals court said.

"After giving up his prosthesis, Keller asked the deputies, ‘How am I going to get around?’" the court said Monday, summarizing the evidence. "According to Keller, a deputy responded, ‘hop around or crawl.’ 

"Despite this callous remark, Keller was not, in fact, always required to get around on his own."

The sheriff's office said Keller had to remove his leg because it could be used as a weapon. He was released on his fourth day in custody in January 2016.

Keller also lost an appeal over how his breathing treatments were handled by the jail.