John Lee Malaer was arrested by Medford police in 2019 for disorderly conduct and taken to jail. The charges against him were eventually dropped.

Video from the incident shows Malaer being slapped in the face by a deputy and then left in a jail cell without a wheelchair or a way to relieve himself. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

Malaer’s attorney declined to comment on the settlement at this time. While the county has settled its part, the lawsuit against the City of Medford continues. Past settlement conferences with the city have been unsuccessful.

Malaer has dropped all monetary claims against the city and is instead seeking court-ordered reforms within the police department. That includes ADA law compliance training, disability-oriented crisis communication, and de-escalation training, as well as a review of current department policies.

A trial decided by a judge rather than a jury is currently scheduled for June 23rd.

Roman Battaglia is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/24/jackson-county-settles-excessive-force-lawsuit-for-13-million/