Federal Lawsuit Details Death Of ‘Cookie Queen’ Inside Cleveland County Jail

A federal lawsuit claims negligence in the death of a Norman bakery owner who died while in jail custody.

The suit filed by the woman’s husband is against the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and medical staff. 

Shannon Hanchett suffered from lupus and bipolar disorder and according to the lawsuit, it was the lack of care that led to her death in jail. “No matter how mentally ill she was you could tell she was scared,” said Kate Bierman, Hanchett’s friend.

Hanchett, a beloved baker in Norman known to many as the “Cookie Queen,” owned the Cookie Cottage downtown. Bierman said Hanchett suffered from mental illness and was arrested after having an episode back in November of 2022. “I think it was obvious from the moment she was arrested that jail was not the place she should be going,” she said.

Hanchett’s husband filed the federal lawsuit in January, claiming his wife’s constitutional rights were disregarded during her time at the jail. “If she'd been in a hospital instead of a jail, she would not be dead right now,” said Bierman.

The lawsuit claims Hanchett had not been started on any psychotropic medications despite the obvious need. “Despite knowing that she was bipolar, despite knowing she had lupus, they provided her with no medication,” she said. 

The court documents also state Hanchett was found in her cell “on the floor talking to herself” and was “provided no assessment or treatment at all.” It also claims low blood pressure wasn't reported. “And the one time they noted things she was actually saying in her jail cell she was saying ‘they're going to kill me,’” Bierman said.

The lawsuit also notes jail staff routinely missed the required 15-minute checks. The Medical Examiner says Hanchett was severely dehydrated and died of heart failure, 12 days after she was jailed. Bierman says she’s not forgotten, though, a plaque with her name now placed at the site of her once thriving bakery. However, it’s the lawsuit she hopes will bring change.

“I think it's incumbent on the county to recognize that just because this is the way we do it right now doesn't mean this is the way we should continue doing it,” Bierman said. “I hope that we will start treating mental health not as a criminal offense but as the community needs that it is.”

In response to the lawsuit, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "In accordance with policy, we do not comment on open litigation."