When Will We Find out Why Prisoner Earl Brown Jr. Died? Don't Hold Your Breath.
Categories: Law & Order, WTF?
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| www.brocktonpolice.com |
| Does what happens in the cell stay in the cell? |
Brown was "agitated and combative" while being booked, according to the sheriff's office, so he was placed in a safety cell. Two minutes later, he was unconscious. Shortly after, he was pronounced dead.
Apparently, the police, the Sheriff's Department, and the Medical Examiner's office are all conducting separate investigations. We're wondering about one investigation in particular -- that of the ME's office. We're wondering how long we can expect to wait to learn what physically caused Brown's death.
If the Issiah Downes case is any indicator, it'll be a really long time.
Should you not remember the Downes case, here's a refresher. He was a 31-year-old being held in San Francisco County jail, serving four years for involuntary manslaughter. Downes had punched a man named Vong Lieu in 2000 in the Sunset District, and Lieu died a month later.
On Sept. 7 of last year, Downes apparently caused a disturbance in County Jail No. 1 and attacked the deputies. They restrained him, using force and two pairs of hand-cuffs, and when it was all over, Downes had passed out in a safety cell and died.
More than six months later, the ME's office still has not determined the cause of Downes' death. Steve Gelman, the administrator at the ME's office, left a message saying that Downes death is still under "active investigation."
Why is it that "active" just doesn't sound like the right word?
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