The community services board kept Gus Deeds, 24, in custody for about six hours before releasing him, the suit says, even with knowledge that he had resisted hospitalization and made prior suicide attempts.

The filing says Creigh Deeds and Pamela Miller Mayhew, the mother of Gus Deeds, warned Gentry of the potential for violence.

“Pam told Gentry that Gus was in a very bad place. She told Gentry that Gus would kill Creigh and himself if he was not hospitalized,” the suit says, describing a phone call between the two on the evening of Nov. 18.

“Gentry responded that Gus was a responsible adult, that he had missed his appointments with the RACSB, that Gentry did not know what more he could do, and that if Gus did kill Creigh, Gus would be institutionalized for a very long time.”

The suit says Gentry claimed to have contacted 10 of the more than 30 facilities on a Rockbridge Area Community Services Board contact list, but phone records indicate he contacted only seven.

“Two of the remaining three facilities Gentry claims to have contacted had beds available on that day,” the suit says.