The family of Stanley Wilson, former NFL player who collapsed and died in police custody last month, believes that he was actually beaten by law enforcement officials before he died.
Photos of Wilson Jr’s body show that he was a victim of excessive force before he died suddenly at a Los Angeles County mental hospital on February 1, said John Carpenter, the attorney representing Wilson Jr’s family.
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He said photos of abrasions on Wilson Jr’s head appear to show he was kicked or stomped. Pictures of marking on his wrist seem to reveal he was cuffed at the time of the attack, Carpenter said.
The Detroit Lions cornerback’s mother, Dr. D Pulane Lucas, said county officials had told her the former football player had collapsed and fallen out of a chair while going through the intake process at Metropolitan State Hospital before he died. However, Carpenter said the pictures show a “stark contrast to what we’ve been hearing.
The family attorney filed three claims against LA County on Tuesday morning over it all one on behalf of Wilson Jr.’s mother, one on behalf of his father, and one on behalf of his estate, seeking damages in excess of $45 million.
“The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.’s death,” the attorney said in the court filings.
He added during the press conference that he has yet to receive Wilson Jr’s autopsy results.
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According to a TMZ report, Wilson Jr has been in custody following his vandalism arrests back in August but after he was declared incompetent to stand trial Later, he was shifted from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital, where officials say he died. Wilson Jr was just 40 years old. He played in the NFL from 2005 to 2007.
