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No charges in death of Georgia woman who fell from patrol car while in custody

By WSBTV.com News Staff and The Associated Press
By WSBTV.com News Staff and The Associated Press

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities say a district attorney will not seek an indictment against sheriff’s deputies in the death of a handcuffed Georgia woman who fell from a patrol car after the deputies failed to close the rear passenger-side door.

28-year-old Brianna Grier’s family and civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, had demanded a full accounting of the Black woman’s fall and subsequent death in July.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Monday it completed its investigation and turned the findings over to the Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney, who decided against bringing the case to a civil or criminal grand jury. Emails to the district attorney and an attorney for Grier’s family were not immediately returned.

Attorneys for a Grier’s family held a news conference in the days after her death, calling for transparency in the case of Brianna Grier.

The family says Grier was having a mental episode on July 15 and rather than being taken to a mental hospital, she was arrested.

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“When she would have her episodes, we would try to get her help. They would usually take her to the hospital,” father Marvin Grier said.

The GBI says that instead of getting into the car, Grier was lying on the ground. One of the deputies arresting her opened the passenger’s side door, but didn’t close it after they got Grier into the car, according to investigators.

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Because the door was open, she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was wearing handcuffs, the GBI concluded she fell out of the car as they began driving away.

The GBI released body camera footage from the night Grier was fatally injured.

NOTE: Some viewers may consider portions of this video graphic.

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