The Root; Published By: Kalyn Womack
Two Indianapolis Metro police officers are facing criminal charges in the death of a Black man after responding to a mental health call by his parents last year, according to The New York Times. The autopsy ruled his death a homicide caused by law enforcement restraint.
Nearly, a year ago, on April 25, the parents of Herman Whitfield III called the police to report a mental health crisis. According to the body camera footage of the incident, five officers and one trainee responded to the home. Things started off calmly as the officers tried to talk to Whitfield, who was naked, and asked him to put on clothes because an ambulance was coming. He did not respond to his mother nor the officers for about 22 minutes and suddenly became frantic, looking for water. He ran around the dining room table and one officer deployed his Taser.
The officers then handcuffed him while he was face down on the ground and tried to restrain him. “I’m dying, I’m dying…Can’t breathe” he cried out as he tried to free himself from their grip. Moments later, he went silent and when the paramedics arrived, they began CPR. He died at the hospital hours later.
Two of the responding officers are facing serious criminal charges in connection to this mental crisis intervention gone wrong. Read more
