*Jamal Sutherland, a mentally ill Black man, died in a South Carolina jail after he was pepper-sprayed and electroshocked with a stun by deputies attempting to forcibly remove him from his cell earlier this year.
Now, the Charleston County council has approved a $10 million settlement for Sutherland’s family and Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano has announced changes to address the safety of mentally ill inmates.
“Our responsibly was the safety of Jamal Sutherland and he died in our facility, so we need to examine that,” Graziano said.
Sutherland, 31, died at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston on January 5. Per MSN, footage shows deputies pepper spraying and tasing him multiple times after he resisted leaving his cell for a bail hearing. He never made it to court, as he was pronounced dead shortly after being roughed up by staffers.
City officials agreed Tuesday to pay $10 million to his family. Meanwhile, activists want charges brought against the deputies.
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“We know that no amount of money will bring their loved one back, but I think this starts the healing process,” Council Chairman Teddie Pryor said. “This should never happen to anyone ever again. Ever.”
Sutherland was initially being housed at Palmetto Behavioral Health, a mental health and substance abuse center. Deputies were called to the facility to investigate a fight between Sutherland and another patient, during which staffers were injured. According to reports, both men were arrested and Sutherland was booked into jail Jan. 4 on charges of third-degree assault and battery.
The next morning, when deputies arrived to take him to a court appearance, video released by the county of the encounter shows Sutherland appears to resist and he is repeatedly tased after refusing to be handcuffed. The deputies repeatedly ordered him to kneel, and they pepper-sprayed him.
One deputy put his knee on Sutherland’s back for several minutes as he was handcuffed on the floor and saying, “I can’t breathe.” An hour later, he was pronounced dead.
The deputies involved, Sgt. Lindsay Fickett and detention Deputy Brian Houle were placed on administrative leave with pay.
Mark Peper, an attorney for the Sutherland family, said that the victim had severe schizophrenia and bipolar disorder so he should not have been held in a non-medical portion of the jail. He noted that the video portrayed a “use of force that was so unnecessary and excessive that there are no words.”
After video of Sutherland’s death was released, Sheriff Graziano announced she was terminating Fickett and Houle.
“I must weigh the interest of public safety for the community against any incident that creates even the perception of an impairment to the operation of the Detention Center for the safety of all residents, staff and our community,” Graziano said in a statement.
The local prosecutor, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, said her office is investigating to determine whether the deputies should face criminal charges.
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