Two Sheriff’s deputies in Savannah, Georgia have been placed on administrative leave with pay for “inappropriate actions” due to the death of 22-year-old Nigerian student, Matthew Ajibade, who died in their custody.
According to Source, Ajibade who suffered from bipolar disorder, died in the isolation cell of a Savannah county jail.
He had been arrested for battery after the police were called over a domestic incident.
Local news reports state that it was
Ajibade’s girlfriend who called the police, and when they arrived; she
told them he needed to go to the hospital. However, a preliminary
incident report on the arrest states that neither Ajibade nor his
girlfriend requested to be taken to the hospital.
When officers arrived at the scene,
Ajibade was said to be standing with his girlfriend, and holding her
tightly. They both had a blanket over their heads.
The girlfriend subsequently removed the
blanket when authorities arrived, and when she did so, her face appeared
to be bruised and her nose was bleeding, police allege.
The police report also states that when
an officer tried to pull them apart, Ajibade “started to resist
apprehension in a violent manner, and was taken to the ground, so that
he could be handcuffed.”
Ajibade’s girlfriend reportedly
informed police of his medical condition, handing them a bottle labeled
Divalproex, that contained pills. The drug is usually used to treat
certain types of bipolar disorder or seizures.
The two deputies placed on leave – Cpl. Maxine Evans and Cpl. Jason Kenny
Authorities said he was placed in an
isolation cell because “he became combative with deputies while being
booked and his behavior was deemed dangerous.”
Ajibade eventually died in the cell.
His family is demanding answers, and insists that he should have been taken to the hospital instead of jail.
An investigation into the cause of his death is currently ongoing.
Ajibade who studied film at the Savannah
College of Art and Design before deciding on computer science and
switching to Savannah Technical College, was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
“Matthew was going places, and they
were good places,” O’Mara said. “And we need to know why he’s never
going to get there,” says his brother, Chris Oladapo.
