Updated as of 11/6/2024 at 1:04 p.m. ET:
The FBI is now looking into the death of 38-year-old Dennoriss Richardson, who was found hanging by a rope in an abandoned house that was miles from his Alabama home. And the police might be involved.
This comes after Richardson’s family filed a police brutality lawsuit against the local Alabama police department, claiming that they were involved in the incident, according to the Associated Press.
Last month, attorney Roderick Van Daniel filed a motion demanding the Sheffield Police Department hand over body camera video related to an interaction between Richardson and several officers from earlier this year.
The filing is part of a civil lawsuit alleging Richardson was subjected to unconstitutional arrests and violence at the hands of the local officers, despite being disabled. The suit claims Richardson was being harassed by the department from November to December of 2022.
Horrifying Brutality Allegations
Across the incidents, the suit claims officers viciously beat Richardson, compromised his asthma by spraying mace in his face and denied him food while he was detained inside a jail cell. In one incident, the suit claimed one of the officers yelled “Nobody can help you!” at Richardson while he was strapped to a chair where he had been restrained for three hours. After most interactions, the suit claims Richardson was falsely charged with assault.
Richardson’s wife, Leigh Anne, tells AL.com the Sheffield police “harassed him his whole life.” By the time he filed the lawsuit, the cops had just arrested him again for on drug charges. Richardson’s wife alleged they offered to drop the charges if he dropped the suit. Richardson refused.
However, his determination for justice may have just been a grisly overshadowing of what would come of Richardson months later.
Richardson Found Dead
Richardson’s wife told AL.com he was let out on probation following the arrest but decided to turn himself in after learning he would have to serve his across the country, forcing him to move from his five children. She told reporters after he left the house, she stopped hearing from him. On Sept. 26, Richardson was reported missing.
Two days later, Richardson was found dead. He was hanging by a rope on the porch of an abandoned home near the Mississippi line where his family said he had no business being, according to a court filing. Richardson’s family still haven’t received his death certificate, the filing said. However, the autopsy ordered by the Colbert County District Attorney’s office ruled his death a suicide.
“We spoke to family members that said the last time they had spoken to Mr. Richardson, he had been depressed, worried about his future as far as the charges he was looking at. He was just down and out. He was giving some of his property away. It appeared to be an apparent suicide,” said Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine via AL.com.
Suicide or Foul Play?
Richardson’s family doesn’t think he died by suicide. Now, the effort to get justice for police brutality has taken a new shape as they investigate if the cops had anything to do with his death.
“My son was joyful. He didn’t have any mental issues. He would never kill himself. He would not hurt himself,” said Bonita, Richardson’s mother via AL.com. “He really was in fear of his life. I think it’s a homicide.”
The family is currently waiting for the results of a private autopsy to return – which could take months, per the report. Meanwhile, the motion filed Wednesday requests body camera video and jail surveillance footage from incidents prior to Richardson’s death. The filing alleges the footage was previously denied to Richardson.
The suit names Sheffield Police Department officers Brett Evans, Darien Fountain, Billy Hall, Sinaca Butcher and former officer Max Dotson as defendants. Dotson was fired after being convicted in the assault of another Black man while off duty in 2022, the report says.
