MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office told News 19 that it completed its investigation into the death of John Daniel Scott Jr. and turned over the findings to the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office.
A spokesperson for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office told News 19 the information was turned over at the end of last week. The Morgan County DA’s Office confirmed it is reviewing the report at this time.
Scott died at Huntsville Hospital less than a week after a call regarding his mental health ended with a violent arrest. Scott’s mother, Paulette Tennison-Sanders, confirmed on Facebook around 5:43 a.m. on April 22 that her son had died.
Originally, Interim Decatur Police Chief Nadis Carlisle said he requested that the FBI and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigate Scott’s death. The following day, he announced that the Madison County Sheriff’s Office would be leading the investigation.
The Decatur Police Department provided a statement following Scott’s death.
The statement said Scott was taken to the Morgan County Jail, but after an hour, jail staff noticed he was “exhibiting signs of medical distress.” From there, Scott was taken to the Decatur Morgan Hospital and then transferred to Huntsville Hospital for continued treatment.
Scott was placed under arrest on April 15 at Brookridge Apartments after two encounters with Decatur Police officers. The original call came to law enforcement from Scott’s mother, who said he was acting out of character. Police said that the first encounter ended without issue.
“Upon arrival, the responding officer spoke with the complainant and made contact with her son, John Daniel Scott Jr. The officer spent nearly an hour engaging with Scott before clearing the scene without incident,” DPD said.
On April 18, DPD released body camera video of the situation. The footage begins at 8:15 p.m. the night of the arrest, when authorities responded to the call. You can watch that footage here, and you can read the full statement made by Interim Chief Carlisle following the release of the footage here.
Decatur Police said officers responded to Brookridge Apartments again later that night, around 8:15 p.m. Then, DPD said officers found Scott sweating and acting erratically, and EMS was called. Scott reportedly had an active failure to appear warrant from Morgan County, and the department said the arrest came after an “extended period of non-compliance.”
“Officers strongly encouraged him to voluntarily board the ambulance for a mental health evaluation and medical care. Despite repeated efforts, he refused,” the department said. “After an extended period of non-compliance and concern for his well-being and public safety, officers made the decision to place Scott under arrest for the warrant.”
After Scott’s death, News 19 obtained footage from the Morgan County Jail of Scott being brought in following his arrest. The video shows several corrections officers dragging Scott across the jail floor.
After officers decided to arrest Scott, DPD said he became combative. Officers can be seen tasing Scott several times. After a four-minute struggle, Scott was handcuffed and taken to the Morgan County Jail.
A spokesperson for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said Scott arrived at the jail at approximately 8:50 p.m. and was transported by medical at approximately 10:10 p.m. The sheriff’s office said he initially resisted and was non-compliant when he arrived. However, once inside booking, this stopped.
They said Scott was cuffed when he arrived. Shackles were placed on his ankles to prevent him from kicking while being brought into booking. The cuffs and shackles were removed once he was placed in a holding cell. While in the holding cell, the spokesperson said he was conscious and interacted with Correction Officers until medical attention was needed.
His mother filed a lawsuit on August 29. The lawsuit names six individuals from the City of Decatur, 10 individuals from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, and one person from the City of Priceville. The lawsuit contains 30 counts filed against the defendants, claiming wrongful death, violations of an individual’s federal rights, assault and battery and more.
The post Findings in investigation into man’s death after violent arrest turned over to Morgan County DA appeared first on WHNT.
