The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina has released footage from the death of Jamal Sutherland, who died on January 5, 2021, while in custody at a detention center in North Charleston. The video shows officers pepper-spraying and tasing Sutherland numerous times while forcibly removing him from a jail cell.
Sutherland family attorney Mark A. Peper released a statement, Friday, saying that “people with mental health issues are entitled to the same exact civil rights as you and me and every other healthy, wealthy person in this world.”
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Jamal’s mother, Amy Sutherland, said that she doesn’t want violence to erupt in the city, but hopes people learn from the incident: “I don’t want any violence in my city. I want us to view this tape and I want us to learn what we don’t want to have happen again. I ask no violence,” she said. “We have black men being killed every day.”
The officers were sent in to bring Sutherland to his bond hearing for a misdemeanor assault charge.
Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano admitted that the killing was a “tragedy” in a statement, Thursday night.
“Our officers removed Mr. Sutherland from his cell that morning in order to ensure that he received a timely bond hearing, as required by law,” Graziano said. “Their efforts were complicated by the increasing effects that Mr. Sutherland was suffering as a result of mental illness.”
She continued: “Since this tragedy occurred, we have assessed our resources and are evaluating options for global improvement, including a focus on mental health awareness.”
[Via]