Former NFL player Stanley Wilson Jr.’s family insists police beat him before he died last month in a Los Angeles County mental health facility.
On Tuesday, Wilson Jr.’s family filed a lawsuit against LA County one month after he was transferred from the county jail and passed away at the Metropolitan State Hospital.
During a press conference, the family’s attorney claimed that photos show the former Detroit Lions cornerback was a victim of excessive force by LA law officials before his death on February 1 at the age of 40.
According to attorney John Carpenter, images of ligature marks on Wilson Jr.’s wrist indicate that he was bound throughout the alleged attack. At the same time, photographs of wounds to his head appear to show that he was either kicked or stomped.
Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, Wilson Jr.’s grieving mother, said the county told her he had died after he collapsed and fell during intake at the mental health facility.
At the press conference, she stated that she was interested in knowing whether the proper procedures were followed following his death and whether he ever received timely assistance when needed.
According to TMZ, Carpenter insinuated that police beat Wilson Jr. “It appears from the way Stanley’s body was returned to his parents that he was in restraints at the time of his death,” he said.
“You can tell from the ligature marks on his wrist that was the case, and there were fresh wounds to his forehead, which appeared to be caused by a shoe, and so that’s in stark contrast to what we’ve been told from the county regarding the circumstances of his death.”
In court documents, Carpenter argued that the county “has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.’s death,” according to TMZ. The family is requesting more than $45 million in damages.
Additionally, he stated that the family has not yet received the case’s autopsy results.
Wilson Jr. was in custody this year following reports that he was charged with vandalism last Fall.
TMZ reported that Wilson Jr. was accused of breaking into a Hollywood Hills home where he was found bathing in an outside fountain.
He was found incompetent to stand trial, leading to his transfer to the hospital.
Discover more from Baller Alert
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
