WINSTON-SALEM, NC ( Associated Press) — A grand jury has charged a nurse with involuntary manslaughter in the 2019 death of a black man at a North Carolina prison, but has been unable to indict five former detention officers involved in the incident. refused.
News outlets reported that Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill confirmed that Michelle Huggins, who worked as a nurse at the county jail, was indicted Monday for the death of John Neville, which took place in the summer of 2020. Inspired protests during
“While I was disappointed with today’s result, our prosecutors will continue to meet again with investigators and speak to the Neville family and their lawyers,” O’Neill said in a statement. “I understand there is great interest in this matter, and I solicit the continued peaceful support of this community as we work with the Neville family to determine how we move forward from here.”
Neville, 56, of Greensboro, died after a medical emergency at the Forsyth County Jail on December 4, 2019. Body camera video shows him struggling with guards from where he lies on the floor, calling out to his mother and shouting “I can’t breathe!” More than 20 times when he was being stopped. Neville was arrested several days earlier.
An autopsy report stated that Neville died of a brain injury, when his heart stopped beating and his brain was deprived of oxygen. He succumbed while restrained with his arms behind his back, and his legs were bent.
Five former officers and Huggins were charged with involuntary manslaughter in Neville’s death in 2020. Late last year, lawyers for Neville’s son and executor of his estate, Sean Neville, filed a lawsuit in US District Court. Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr., Wellpath LLC, the prison’s medical provider at the time, and Forsyth County, along with detention officers and Huggins were named as defendants.
One of Huggins’ attorneys, Claire J. Rauscher said on Monday that his client would be fully justified when the case comes up for hearing.
“Michelle Huggins was the only person who tried to save Mr. Neville in prison that day,” Rauscher said. “It was the detention officers who stopped him and placed him on his stomach, handcuffed him, and forced him out of the room.”
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