Police body camera footage released by authorities in northwest Indiana shows the tense moments leading up to the death of Rhyker Earl, a 26-year-old father who was handcuffed following a medical emergency. NBC Chicago’s Charlie Wojciechowski reports.
Police body camera footage released by authorities in northwest Indiana shows the tense moments leading up to the death of Rhyker Earl, a 26-year-old father who was handcuffed following a medical emergency.
Earl's grandmother called 911 on Sept. 8 when Earl suffered a seizure at his residence in DeMotte, Indiana.
Footage released Friday by the Jasper County Sheriff's Department consisted of three unedited videos from different deputies as well as a fourth video combining footage from the deputies' body cameras, the sheriff's department said in a Facebook post.
When deputies arrived, Earl appeared disoriented as he struggled to put a shirt on while talking to paramedics, body camera video showed.
Earl, who suffered from epilepsy, had two seizures earlier in the day, his grandmother told sheriff's deputies.
As a deputy talks to his grandmother, a struggle ensues between the 26-year-old and first responders.
"Don't fu**ing touch the medic, you're going to the hospital," a deputy says. "Don't fu**ing hit him, don't fu**ing hit him."
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The deputy's camera is covered up as he tries to detain Earl, yelling, "Hands behind your back, hands behind your back now..."
The father of two is wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs, face down.
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He says, "Guys, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this, guys?... Guys, I'm going to die."
While first responders try to calm him down, Earl is in obvious distress.
"Rhyker…Rhyker can you hear me," a first responder says. "Hey Rhyker…if you just help us…everything will be alright…"
Earl eventually calms down, but his grandmother asks if he is breathing.
"Lets get that BVM. Let’s go," a paramedic says. "Do you got a pulse?"
"We are getting there, no," a fellow first responder replies.
Paramedics then take Earl outside to the ambulance, thinking he might have regained a faint pulse.
The sheriff's department body camera released the footage after obtaining permission from the Indiana State Police, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding Earl's death.
"We feel it is critical that our community have as much information as possible and evaluate the incident independently of outside influences," the department said. "By releasing this video, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is not drawing any conclusions about the actions of anyone involved in this incident. The independent investigation will draw those conclusions."
Earl's family has retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who in a previous news release demanded the "immediate release" of body camera footage.
"Rhyker Earl’s death should never have happened," Crump said. "His family called for medical help, but instead, they watched in horror as law enforcement escalated the situation and used excessive force."
