Glenn Foster Jr, a former NFL player, died in police custody after being arrested by law enforcement authorities for being linked to a high-speed car chase and a fight involving officers in the county jail where he was being held. Alabama authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
Foster Jr, who used to play for the New Orleans Saints, was reported dead at a medical facility in Alabama’s Northport on Monday, according to reports from Associated Press citing statements from Senior Alabama Trooper Reginal King.
While being handcuffed, Foster fought against a Pickens County deputy and a correctional officer, injuring the deputy’s nose and hand, according to court records obtained by The Associated Press.
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Following his arrest, Foster had an initial court appearance before Pickens County District Judge Samuel Junkin, where he was “non-compliant and refused to respond to answer any questions” aside from demanding an attorney, the judge wrote.
Based on police observations and how Foster behaved, the judge said Foster was “not mentally stable and a danger to himself and others” and ordered him held without bond for a mental evaluation.
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Foster’s family said that law enforcement officials may have delayed life-saving treatment for the former NFL star despite knowing that he was involved in a jail fight.
His mother Sabrina Foster told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, “I can not get my son back, but we want whoever is responsible to pay for this.”
Foster had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was about 20 but had mostly been able to manage the illness before the arrest, Foster’s father, Glenn Foster Sr., told the news outlet.
Foster had been arrested Sunday afternoon in the small town of Reform, Alabama, on charges of reckless endangerment and resisting arrest by “attempt to elude,” jail records show.
(With AP inputs)
