A former police sergeant and two paramedic workers have been charged in the fatality of a Westland Jail inmate. The trio was bound over on misconduct in office charges on Jan. 22. Manslaughter charges that were filed against the three were dismissed after the judge found that there was insufficient evidence to support such charges.
The incident happened at the Westland Jail in March 2018. According to prosecutors, the inmate was taken into custody and then began having convulsions in his cell. He reportedly yelled for help but was ignored by the former Westland Police Department sergeant and the two paramedics.
Prosecutors and the family state that the three left the inmate there to die. He overdosed and was found to have died of cocaine toxicity. The man’s brother stated that he believes that the three did nothing because his brother was a drug dealer and considered to be disposable. The inmate was the father of four children. Westland Police Department terminated the employment of the police sergeant who is facing charges.
Law enforcement officers who engage in wrongful conduct may be found guilty of official misconduct or other crimes. Someone who has been the victim of injustice at the hands of the police might want to talk to an experienced civil rights lawyer. An attorney could review the facts and circumstances of what happened and offer an honest assessment of the winnability of the case. If necessary, the lawyer could conduct a thorough investigation in an effort to build a strong case. The attorney may file a civil lawsuit against those who are responsible for the harms that were caused to their client.
