The estate of Richard Metcalf has filed a notice of claim against Erie County and the Depew, New York Police Department. Metcalf, 35, died in November after suffering a massive heart attack while in the custody of the Erie County Sheriff's jail division.
The younger Metcalf was in police custody at the time of his death because he had been arrested days earlier by a Depew police officer called to respond to a burglary in progress. He was shot with a Taser during the ordeal and taken to the Erie County Medical Center shortly after due to an elevated heart rate, but was then transported to a holding center. Once back in a cell, police say he started acting erratically.
"He was spitting blood at the officers as they were trying to de-escalate the situation,” Holding Center Superintendent Thomas Diina told reporters, and that “It was reported that he was poking himself with a fork, raking his face across the bars in front of his cell in order to get his mouth bloody so that he could spit at the officers.”
Metcalf’s family disputes that claim, though, and suspects foul play. "My personal opinion is that he was severely beaten. There's no other explanation. There's no other logical explanation for that,” a family member said.
Source: RT
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