The nine deputies connected to the death of 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade have been fired.
According to an incident report from New Year’s Day, after police received a domestic dispute call they arrived and found Ajibade firmly holding a woman whose “face was bruised [with] her nose bleeding.” Matthew Ajibade’s girlfriend called the police requesting them to take him to the hospital as he was having a manic episode. The Chatham County Sheriff’s office said that Ajibade did not cooperate with police officials and “became combative during the booking process.”
Surprisingly, the Chatham County deputies took him to prison rather than the hospital and possibly failed to give him the medication his girlfriend provided them with before leaving his residence. Ajibade had a history of bipolar disorder and died while under police custody.
Ajibade’s family hired CNN legal analyst Mark O’Mara to represent them in court as the district attorney is still deciding whether criminal charges are in order. This incident has prompted policy changes requiring an explicit and clear taser policy, audits of taser-like devices and on-site medical personnel to be available when perpetrators with medical needs are being processed. Watch the heartfelt interview with Ajibade’s cousin on CNN here.
-Nishat Baig
