Death of black Ga. man in custody ruled homicide, report says
SAVANNAH, Ga. - A coroner has ruled that a 22-year-old black man who died from blunt force trauma at the Chatham County Detention Center in January was the victim of a homicide, reports CBS affiliate WTOC.
Matthew Ajibade, 22, died after he was restrained and placed in an isolation cell when he was reportedly combative and injured three Chatham County Sheriff's Office deputies on New Year's Day.
The station reports that a female sergeant suffered a concussion and broken nose, and two male deputies suffered injuries consistent with an altercation. Ajibade was arrested and booked into the Chatham County Detention Center after he was arrested by the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Dept. He was accused of a domestic violence act, battery and obstruction of justice.
According to sheriff's officials, it was when deputies performed their second welfare check on Ajibade after he'd been placed in isolation, that he appeared unresponsive.
Medical staff reportedly performed CPR and administered defibrillation while preparing Ajibade for transport to Memorial Hospital.
Nine Chatham County sheriff's deputies have been fired after an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation into the death, WTOC reported.
During a news conference Thursday, Chatham County Sheriff Al St. Lawrence said little.
"I'm not going to discuss the Ajibade case. I have a commitment to the DA and the grand jury," he said.
When asked if he feels like his deputies ever use too much force, he said, "We're looking at policy and procedures...and we may have made some errors."
After the authorities' news conference, Ajibade's family attorney said he learned from WTOC that the death had been ruled a homicide from blunt force trauma.