4 hours after Eugene Wesley Youngblood was arrested earlier this month on drug costs, the 42-year-old man was discovered useless within the Lancaster sheriff’s station jail.
Now his household is on the lookout for solutions, and say Youngblood was a wholesome man with no underlying well being points. When he was taken into custody, his household stated they have been informed he’d be cited and launched inside a couple of hours.
As an alternative, Youngblood died in his jail cell, and his household says authorities have supplied no solutions as to what occurred.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division officers didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the matter.
On Tuesday, an legal professional representing the household filed a declare towards the county, and stated sheriff’s officers have ignored the household’s request for physique digicam video, police reviews and different data to piece collectively what occurred to Youngblood whereas he was in custody. The declare doesn’t cite a greenback quantity however says the household is in search of “common, particular and punitive damages.”
Brad Gage, an legal professional representing the household, stated members of the family have additionally discovered of regarding particulars, together with allegations that Youngblood had bruising on his face on the time of his loss of life.
“He went into the Lancaster jail a wonderfully younger wholesome younger man and about 4 hours later he was useless,” Gage stated. “We don’t know why he was useless.”
In response to the Sheriff’s Division, a ultimate post-mortem report is pending.
Division data point out Youngblood was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. on June 5.
Vanessa Larry, Youngblood’s niece, stated Wednesday throughout a information convention that she known as the sheriff’s station at about 9:30 p.m. that day, asking if she might decide up Youngblood’s belongings.
The deputy she spoke to, nonetheless, informed her there was no want for her to come back to the station as a result of her uncle in in custody for a misdemeanor and would in all probability be cited and launched.
“He was already deceased,” she stated. “I discovered the subsequent day. They by no means even let me see his physique. I simply need justice for my uncle.”
Gage and members of the family stated Youngblood’s household was informed he was arrested on misdemeanor drug costs.
On-line sheriff data, nonetheless, state Youngblood was booked on a felony cost.
In a press release, the company informed the Antelope Valley Press that Youngblood was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics on the market.
Youngblood was discovered unresponsive in his bunk on the Lancaster station jail by a deputy doing a routine examine, the Antelope Valley Press reported, and deputies administered two doses of naloxone till paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fireplace Division arrived. Naloxone is a drugs used to reverse the consequences of a doable overdose.
He was pronounced useless on the scene, per sheriff’s data.
Gage and his household stated there isn’t any indication Youngblood was taken to a hospital.
“Our understanding is he went from the jail to the morgue,” Gage stated.
Larry stated she was by no means given a motive why the naloxone was administered to her uncle.
Gage additionally stated members of the family by no means noticed Youngblood use medicine, and so they had issues relating to the bruising on his face that members of the family noticed once they recognized his physique, “as if he had been punched within the face.”
“He shouldn’t be useless at this cut-off date,” Youngblood’s sister, Gina Youngblood, stated throughout the Wednesday morning information convention. “We simply need solutions.”
Members of the family stated Youngblood was additionally sporting jewellery and carrying a major amount of money when he walked out of Larry’s dwelling that day.
Once they recovered his belongings, they stated, jewellery seemed to be lacking and fewer than two {dollars} in money was returned.
“I do know he had more cash as a result of I seen him earlier than he left the home,” Larry stated.
Gage stated the household is hoping to acquire deputies’ physique digicam footage and reviews and jailhouse safety video to make clear what occurred to Youngblood that day.
“For those who don’t have the solutions, you don’t appear to get justice,” he stated, “and the household can’t get peace.”
