GBI releases footage of Hancock County sheriff’s deputies who forgot to lock squad car door and shows how the mistake cost Brianna Grier her life

Authorities have investigated the recent death of a Georgia woman and have found officers responsible for the fatal injuries she sustained while in custody.

Bodycam footage released to the public showed that one of the arresting deputies was responsible for the death because he failed to fully close the rear passenger door before leaving the scene in his car.

At around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 15, Brianna Marie Grier’s mother called 911 asking for support for the woman who was suffering from a schizophrenic breakdown that may have been caused by alcohol or narcotics.

When Hancock County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the Middle Georgia home, the parents asked them to take the 28-year-old mother of twins to a hospital for a check-up, according to her father Marvin Grier.

However, after realizing that the woman had been drinking, the deputies decided to handcuff her hands in front of her body and place her in the back seat of the sheriff’s squad car to take her to jail.

Before police could reach the county jail, Brianna had thrown herself out of the vehicle to escape. Tragically, she sustained two fractures in her skull as a result of the fall. Officers took the woman to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, about 100 miles away, where she remained in a coma for several days before being pronounced dead around 1 p.m. Thursday, July 21

An inquest into her death by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation uncovered several ways the Hancock County Sheriff’s Officer arresting officers acted negligently, including failing to buckle the handcuffed woman’s seat belt while she was in the back seat of her car or the car closed rear passenger door before driving away from home.

Agents checked a deputy bodycam, conducted interviews and inspected the car before making a public announcement Wednesday, July 27, about the deputies’ liability in the case.

“To put Grier in the patrol car, one of the deputies walked around and opened the rear passenger door,” the GBI said in a statement. “The investigation shows that the deputy thought he had closed the rear passenger door. The deputies left the scene and drove a short distance. “

During the arrest, Brianna challenged the deputies and resisted the arrest, although encouraged by her parents to go with them until morning. The Griers had hoped to take her to get the medical care she needed.

Despite this, Brianna relentlessly resisted, telling law enforcement she would kill herself if they took her to jail.

On Friday, July 29, the GBI released MPs’ bodycam footage after first sharing it with the Grier family.

The following footage contains very disturbing content:

“To clarify inaccurate reports, GBI agents have met with the Grier family in person on numerous occasions since July 15,” the agency said, adding, “Agents have also had several calls with the family and provided them with investigative updates.” ”

The GBI also clarified reports that suggested the agency shared the woman’s criminal history with the public. Investigators said they never released a 90-page report on Brianna’s previous violation of the law and “have only provided investigative updates on this case as we work to learn what happened in the early hours of July 15, 2022.” happened in Hancock County.”

Standing alongside his attorney, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Brianna’s father said hours before the bodycam video was publicly released on July 29 that the family was trying to get answers as to what really happened, 11 Alive reported.

Tearfully, Marvin said on behalf of his wife Mary and other daughter Lottie, who were with him during the press conference: “That’s all we want to know. We don’t try to start without problems.”

The attorney said, “Again, we have unbelievably killed another African American citizen while he was in police custody.”

“We will not let you sweep your little daughter’s death under the rug,” Crump promised the family.

Other social justice organizations have chosen not to let anyone sweep Brianna’s death under the proverbial rug. Gerald Griggs, the president of the NAACP’s Georgia State Conference, said he wanted the HCSO to be “transparent.”

“It’s time for accountability,” he said in a call to action. “To the governor, it’s about time you once again acknowledge that Georgia has a police accountability problem.”

Previously, the parents spoke of their shock that the police were sent over paramedics. Brianna had previously suffered from fractures and these medics were able to give her the help she needed – and not criminalize her.

In 2021, a group of bipartisan Georgia lawmakers recently released a report on the state’s criminalization rate of mental illness and proposed legislation (House Bill 514, also known as the Georgia Mental Health Reform Bill) passed to address the problem .

In addition to providing “additional state funding” for communities treating mental health and substance use disorders, the bill states that the state should “provide funds to pay for increased crisis intervention training for local law enforcement personnel” and “review policies and propose changes.” “. Support crisis response instead of traditional/single law enforcement response.”

The Georgia Mental Health Reform Bill was passed in both the House and Senate during the 2021-2022 General Assembly during its regular session.

Implementation of these changes is progressing slowly.