Mother waits for answers 5 weeks after son's death in Baltimore police custody
More than five weeks since Dontae Melton Jr died in Baltimore police custody, his family says they have received little information, with investigators delaying the release of body-camera footage.
Melton's mother, Eleshiea Goode, feels she is being left in the dark, unable to get key records.
"My heart breaks every single day for my son because he deserves dignity. He should be here right now, and after all this time, we still don't know what happened," Goode said. "Something is not adding up to me at all."
Body camera video delayed
The Maryland Attorney General's Office delayed the release of body camera video of the 10 officers it has named as involved in the case.
"That part alone, that 10 officers responded—I need to understand what was going on that it required the response of ten Baltimore City police officers," Goode said.
The encounter began on June 24 when Melton asked an officer for help during a mental health crisis.
He was later restrained by Baltimore Police, according to the initial report by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID).
The report said it was for his own safety because he was going in and out of traffic at West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road.
Because of a problem with the city's communication system, a medic never came, and officers transported Melton to a hospital in their police vehicle.
The IID said it needed more time "due to the technical complexity and volume of officer recordings involved."
Calls for "Justice for Dontae Melton, Jr."
There are now "Justice for Dontae Melton, Jr." Facebook and Instagram pages dedicated to bringing attention to the case.
"I'm not asking for anything extraordinary, right? I'm not asking for special treatment," Goode said. "I'm not asking for anything that they're not supposed to do. I'm just asking to find out what happened to my son."
Goode shared a picture of the shirt her son was wearing before he died with the phrase, "We are all human."
"It's been five weeks, and I need answers that every parent deserves when their child does not come home," Goode said.
WJZ reached out to the Attorney General's Office on Thursday. They had no new updates to report and referred WJZ to last week's statement about the body camera video.
Melton's mother has also reached out to her city councilman, who told her he was also seeking answers.
Request denied
Goode shared with WJZ Investigates a recent denial of records letter she received from the medical examiner's office.
"The OCME has determined that we are not the Custodian of Record for the items requested, as positive identification and notification of next of kin are conducted by the responding law enforcement agency; therefore, there are no records responsive to your request," thel etter said.
Goode also said the hospital where she was told her son was treated has no record of it.
"I'm reaching out, but I just keep hitting roadblocks—one after the other," Goode said. "It's very, very frustrating because I still don't know what happened."
