MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A family feels defeated after a grand jury chose not to indict 10 Montgomery County jailers.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Christian Black died while in the custody of the Montgomery County Jail in March.
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His manner of death was ruled a homicide by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, which also determined that his cause of death was mechanical and positional asphyxia.
One of Black’s family attorneys, Robert Gresham, said while this was not the outcome they wanted, they are not done fighting.
Gresham said Black’s family watched the jail video, and they believe it showed jailers killing him.
While the video haunts them, it also motivates them to keep up their legal fight.
“This outcome doesn’t change the fact that Christian was restrained; he was restrained to death. He was denied medical care,” Gresham said.
Englewood police arrested Black in March after he allegedly crashed a stolen car.
Police said Black then jumped a fence and tried to swim away from officers.
He was arrested and brought to the Montgomery County Jail.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Black had repeated confrontations with corrections officers after being booked in the jail.
They said he repeatedly banged his head against his cell door and again tried to fight staff, prompting them to tase and use pepper spray on him before putting him in a restraint chair.
Black lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. He died two days later, on March 26, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
“Christian’s death was not simply a mistake, but it was a homicide, and it was ruled by the coroner, and he deserves full accountability,” Gresham said.
Ten employees were placed on leave, but six of them have returned to work.
On Wednesday, Gresham and Black’s family found out about the Grand Jury’s decision.
“Even as the prosecutors close this particular chapter regarding the officers, it appears the medical negligence case remains unaddressed. And that care staff, they witnessed Christian lose consciousness, and they took no meaningful life-saving action,” Gresham said.
He said the family felt some justice a few months ago when the county settled a $7 million lawsuit.
Now the family is suing Naphcare, which is the contractor that provides medical and dental health services to inmates at the county jail.
“The officers walked away from this, but Naphcare still has to answer for its role in Christian’s death. And while this decision appears to close one door, we’re going to pursue justice through another, and that door is not closed, and we’re going to walk through it,” Gresham said.
News Center 7 has reached out to the sheriff’s office for a statement as well as the employment status of the officers who remain on leave.
We will continue to follow this story.
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