Five North Carolina detention officers are seen on camera restraining an inmate in a cell who is saying, “I can’t breathe” before dying two days later.
What We Know:
- The victim, John Neville, a 56-year-old Black man died in December 2019 at Forsyth County Detention Center in Winston-Salem. Five officers and a nurse were charged with involuntary manslaughter in Neville’s death. Officers checked on Neville after he had fallen from the top bunk of his bed resulting in injury.
- One of the officers involved in the incident told Neville that the doctors were going to check his blood pressure. Officers put a spit mask over Neville’s head while the nurses attempted to treat him. He was then handcuffed behind his back while he was checked for observation. On the video, he can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” He continued to be restrained facedown and tried to unlock the handcuffs. One of the guards told him that he could breathe since he was talking.
- Two days later, Neville died when he was found by the jail staff, not breathing. According to the medical examiner, Neville died from a brain injury due to the way he was being restrained. The autopsy also found that Neville had asthma and heart disease. After the death of Neville, the officers were fired. The nurse who was involved in the incident says she did not engage in misconduct and did everything she could to save Neville’s life. She is currently placed on administrative leave with pay.
- Judge R. Gregor of Forsyth County Superior Court issued a release of the video footage because he felt it was “necessary to advance a compelling public interest.” Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough issued a statement saying, “I apologize again for what happened on that day. We’re sorry for the mistakes made that day. I take responsibility for that as the sheriff.”
The family of Neville filed a civil lawsuit against the county of Forsyth and Wellpath.
