The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is being sued for wrongful death by the estate of former NFL wide receiver Stanley Wilson Jr.
The lawsuit, which Fox News Digital was able to receive, accuses Wilson of using excessive force, battery, cruel and unusual punishment, and carelessness and calls for a jury trial.
While being held in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Wilson passed away on February 1. He was going to be driven to a psychiatric hospital.
Wilson’s family, however, believes that he was murdered while being held in jail, and the lawsuit claimed that he had not been checked into a hospital.
Wilson allegedly suffered “red abrasions” on his forehead, right hand, and right knee, according to the lawsuit. Stanley Wilson, Jr.’s wrist had ligature marks from being restrained in custody, according to post-mortem photos.
“The excessive force, including the physical restraints used against him, ultimately resulted in physical injuries on February 1, 2023, that caused Stanley Wilson, Jr.’s untimely death.”
The estate claims that the department is “illegally refusing to release” CCTV footage of Wilson’s treatment when he was being held by the authorities.
A death report, which is intended to be produced by a prison where the death occurs, was “failed and refused to conduct” by the department and other defendants, including Los Angeles County and the California Department of State Hospitals, the lawsuit claims.
The defendants, according to Wilson’s estate, “have widely and misleadingly mischaracterized the cause and circumstances” of his passing.
“The videos in possession of defendants, and each of them, would show the truth of what caused the death of Stanley Wilson Jr.,” the suit says.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital Wednesday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Wilson “was released from LA County Sheriff’s Department custody and transported to Metropolitan State Hospital. While in the custody of the Metropolitan State Hospital, he suffered a medical emergency and tragically passed away.”
Wilson’s mother was first told by county officials that he fell from a chair and collapsed, but according to attorney John Carpenter, marks on his head appear to demonstrate that he was kicked or stomped, and traces of handcuffing can be seen on the marks on his hands and wrists.
“Federal and state patient privacy laws prevent the Department of State Hospitals from providing any information about current or former patients,” the California Department of State Hospitals said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
In March, Carpenter filed three lawsuits against Los Angeles County, asking for $45 million in damages on behalf of Wilson’s estate and each of Wilson’s parents.
Wilson was detained in August 2022 on suspicion of vandalising a residence in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles and conducting a property search. He was also said to have bathed within the property’s fountain.
Wilson was transferred to the mental health facility, according to the prosecution, after it was determined that he was not able to face trial.
