The family of an Arizona man who died in a Maricopa County jail filed a federal lawsuit alleging law enforcement officers used excessive force, leading to the death of Akeem Terrell, 31.
“Two years ago, my brother was killed by the hands of the Phoenix Police Department. We have now confirmed video footage of the incident,” Jaquitta Terrell, Akeem’s sister, said in a Facebook post.
The incident happened on January 1, 2021, as Terrell was bringing in the new year. Terrell had a history of mental illness, according to the lawsuit, and that night he began “behaving bizarrely” at a party at an apartment in Phoenix.
Jesse Showalter, an attorney representing the family, said a partygoer called the police because of Terrell’s behavior. Witnesses claimed he “expressed paranoid thoughts and made statements that didn’t make sense.”
The lawsuit claims Phoenix police “recognized he was mentally ill or mentally disturbed.” Terrell suffered from…
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