Terrill Thomas, 38, was found dead in his cell in Milwaukee County Jail in 2016 - seven days after officers shut off his water supply as punishment.

His death was later ruled a homicide by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, the result of "profound dehydration".

Thomas' attorneys called the sum one of the largest ever for a jail death.

"This settlement reflects not only the profound harm suffered by Mr Thomas and his family, but also the shocking nature of the defendants' misconduct in shutting off this man's water and ignoring his obvious signs of distress as he literally died of thirst," said lawyers for Thomas in a joint statement to US media.

The settlement was publicly announced on Tuesday after being finalised in March. The cost will be split between Milwaukee County and Armor Correctional Health Services, a private company that provided health care for inmates at the time.

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