Georgia deputies are accused of lying to the family of a teenager who was killed by deputies. One of those deputies has been also been accused of wrongful death. The incident occurred in 2015.
According to reports, police were called to respond to a person sleeping in a vehicle behind a store. Columbus police responded and made contact with the young man. They were able to wake him up, at which point he hit the gas and fled. Police gave chase and county deputies picked up the pursuit. They ended up deploying stop sticks to bring the truck to a halt.
Deputies ran to the truck and began yelling orders at the young man. He again tried to escape, but was unable to do so. The truck’s windows were smashed by deputies and the driver was dragged from the vehicle. One deputy threw the teen to the ground and placed his knee on the back of the driver’s neck. A minute later the teen had gone limp. It wasn’t for another six minutes that deputies began chest compressions.
The teen died and an autopsy certified the cause of death as homicide. The teenager died of asphyxiation as a result of the knee to the neck. Deputes originally told the family that the teen had hit a tree. The story was changed to deputies having pushed the vehicle off the road during the chase. Video proved otherwise.
If a loved one has been killed due to someone’s negligence or error in Atlanta, you may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. Reach out to our experienced attorneys today for a free case evaluation and learn more about your legal rights.