An excessive force lawsuit filed against Macomb County Jail guards accused of suffocating and failing to treat an inmate who died in 2011 has been reinstated by a federal appeals court.

The case involves Bronislaw Kulpa, who died of a heart attack caused by asphyxiation in the Macomb County Jail after being knelt on by 300-pound guard, while Kupla was handcuffed and restrained by multiple other guards.

U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2016 dismissed the lawsuit, filed by Kulpa's wife, against the guards, finding there was a lack of evidence that they clearly violated Kulpa's constitutional rights; and Macomb County, finding a lack of evidence that the county inadequately trained the guards.

While the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal of the county in the lawsuit, it reinstated the excessive force and wrongful death claims against guard John Cardea and other jail employees involved in the incident.

Kulpa was being held in a detox cell with nearly 10 people when guards were called to the cell, where they found Kulpa "sitting on the toilet with his pants up, sniffing a sponge and screaming," according to the lawsuit. It doesn't reveal for what crime Kulpa was jailed, but says it was pretrial detention.

"F**k you and leave me alone," Kulpa yelled when a guard came to check on him, the appellate opinion says.

The guard notified medical staff. Medical staff asked to evaluate Kulpa, who refused to leave his cell, continued to shout and shoved a guard.

Kulpa was in handcuffs being escorted to be evaluated when he and two guards tripped and fell. The opinion says guards claimed the toppling occurred because Kulpa was struggling, but jail video cameras showed Kulpa tripped because his pants fell down.

Guards placed Kulpa face down in a cell and testified they planned to remove Kulpa's handcuffs and place him in a restraint chair.

Cantea knelt on Kulpa's back with both knees -- while other guards blocked the camera view -- and Kulpa's "right leg flailed weakly without striking any of the officers." Three other jail officers knelt on Kulpa's legs.

Kulpa, who appeared motionless and limp, was placed in a restraint chair. Guards left the cell and returned several minutes later. When a guard returned to find Kulpa unresponsive four minutes later, "she started yelling for help," and CPR was unsuccessfully performed for more than 20 minuted before Kulpa was pronounced dead.

An initial autopsy determined Kulpa died of a heart attack, but a second review by former New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden said the guard who knelt on Kupla's back asphyxiated him, depriving oxygen in the blood stream and resulting in the heart failure.

Based on the circumstances, the Appeals Court said, "a jury could reasonably find that Cantea used excessive force when restraining Kulpa."

"What's more, a jury could determine that Kulpa posed no threat to the officers, given his

incapacitation," the court opinion says. " ... Finally, a jury could find that the video shows Cantea applying excessive pressure to Kulpa's torso, causing Kulpa to lose consciousness. This interpretation of the video is supported by the autopsy, which revealed broken ribs along Kulpa's left side."

The case will now return to the U.S. District Court where it will likely be settled or go to trial.

As of noon Thursday, Macomb County Jail representatives hadn't replied to MLive's request for comment, a copy of the referenced video or questions about internal investigations resulting from the incident or Cantea's job status.