John Daniel Scott Jr., a 41-year-old Black man and loving father of 5 youngsters, was demonstrating a non-aggressive demeanor to Alabama cops and paramedics final week once they confirmed as much as his house after his mom had known as 911 to report he was struggling a psychological well being disaster.
Nonetheless, he had a warrant for his arrest after failing to seem in court docket in 2021 for a rushing ticket. So, Decatur police gave him the selection of both being transported to a hospital for analysis or being taken to jail to serve his warrant. Scott didn’t seem to love both choice and tried to purpose with them, however was not hostile or elevating his voice.
The cops grew to become impatient and grabbed his arms to arrest him, tasering and punching him a number of occasions earlier than putting him behind a patrol automobile.
“Cease punching him,” his mom might be heard yelling within the physique digicam footage launched by police, which might be considered on the backside of the story.
Scott was pronounced useless Tuesday morning at a neighborhood hospital, the place he had been confined for per week.
Now, interim Decatur Police Chief Nadis Carlisle stated he was requested by the FBI and the Alabama Legislation Enforcement Company to research his demise, in accordance with Information 19. Main the investigation is the Madison County Sheriff’s Workplace.
However for Rodney Gordon, president of the native NAACP, the demise of a Black man after being taken into custody by police is just the most recent incident in an extended line of lethal incidents stretching again a long time.
“Right here we go once more,” Gordon instructed The Washington Put up. “We said that this was going to occur once more, based mostly on what occurred when Steve Perkins died.”
Gordon was referring to February’s resignation of Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion following the backlash the division obtained from the neighborhood after police shot and killed Perkins in a hail of bullets in entrance of his house in 2023. Final month, the cop who killed Perkins, Mac Marquette, was charged with homicide.
“They shifted the police chief, however they acquired the identical gamers nonetheless taking part in the sport,” Gordon stated. “How are you going to not change the officers and anticipate totally different outcomes?”
The mom of his youngsters, Heather Chandler Scott, posted a sequence of images of Scott along with his youngsters. She additionally wrote the next submit on behalf of considered one of their youngsters.
“My children don’t have social media, however Jax desires me to share this story. So I’m sharing for him,” she wrote.
“Sooner or later his dad got here house with a trunk filled with sandwich bread, peanut butter, chips. He got here in and known as Jax they usually began making sandwiches. John stated they had been making sandwiches to take downtown Birmingham to offer the homeless some lunch. And that’s precisely what he and Jax did. That’s who John was to the core.”
The Arrest
Scott’s mom, Paulette Tennison Sanders, had known as police for assist through the day on April 15 as a result of her son was experiencing a psychological well being episode and was seemingly off his medicine.
Police confirmed up with the division’s psychological well being liaison, however decided Scott was not a menace to himself or anyone else, in order that they left.
Later that night, she known as police once more as a result of he was nonetheless experiencing a psychological well being disaster, leading to 5 cops arriving with paramedics.
A 28-minute physique digicam video launched by Decatur police exhibits Scott participating with police and paramedics in a civil dialog for greater than 13 minutes earlier than they determined to arrest him.
The cops grabbed his arms to handcuff him, and he fell to the bottom and commenced panicking, complaining about his neck.
The cops grew to become extra aggressive, ordering him to show over, and he responded, “I’m making an attempt,” whereas repeatedly apologizing, saying, “I’m sorry.”
Then they started tasering him whereas ordering him to show round and place his again, and he saved telling them he was making an attempt to take action.
A minimum of one cop had his knee on his again, making it tough for him to abide by their orders. Then one cop began punching him.
Because the cops struggled to position him within the automobile after handcuffing him, Scott repeatedly instructed the cops, “I can’t breathe.”
“You may breathe,” one cop responded. “Rise up!”
Interim Chief Carlisle, who’s Black, issued the next assertion to native media concerning the occasions that occurred after Scott was transported to jail.
Following the incident, Scott was transported to the Morgan County Jail, the place custody was formally transferred to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Workplace. Through the reserving course of, Scott continued to actively resist the efforts of correctional officers. He was positioned in a cell and later started displaying indicators of medical misery.
The jail employees known as for an ambulance, and Scott was transported to Decatur Morgan Hospital, the place he skilled a medical emergency that required life-saving measures. We’re actively monitoring his situation and stay in touch along with his household.
It is very important notice that this incident could contain what’s medically known as excited delirium, a probably life-threatening situation that may happen in people present process excessive agitation, usually influenced by psychological well being points or substance use. A last dedication might be made by medical professionals.
However additionally it is vital to notice that “excited delirium” is a debunked medical situation that cops have been utilizing for many years to justify killing folks.
On Tuesday, one week after his arrest, Scott handed away within the hospital.
In a GoFundMe to boost cash for funeral bills, his mom stated her son died of a coronary heart assault and kidney failure.
My title is Paulette Tennison Sanders and my son John Scott Jr was coping with a psychological disaster and like all mom I did the one factor I felt was the most effective factor to do. I known as Decatur Police Dept. to assist him. In return I obtained essentially the most detrimental information a mom may obtain. My son was taken by the LEO to the hospital, the place he lay lifeless preventing for his life. He skilled an enormous coronary heart assault and went into kidney failure.
She has raised simply over $12,000 as of this writing.
Nationally famend lawyer Lee Merrick stated he has been retained by the household and might be submitting a lawsuit, in accordance with Information 19.
“Our workplace has been formally retained by the household of LJ, recognized affectionately, Mr. John Scott… to research not solely his arrest and incarceration, however his demise and the insurance policies of the police division and the Metropolis of Decatur that will have been contributory,” Merritt stated who can be representing the household of Perkins, the opposite Black man killed by Decatur police.
Watch the complete video under. The arrest begins close to the 13-minute mark.
