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Lawsuit: Police Mishandled Arrest of Man Who Later Died
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A federal civil rights lawsuit in Ohio alleges police mishandled the arrest of a man on drugs who later died in a hospital.
The complaint filed by the estate of Jaron Thomas says Columbus police were improperly trained and supervised in handling individuals suffering mental health crises. The lawsuit says Thomas was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The complaint filed Thursday says police punched, body slammed, kneed and used other physical force on the 36-year-old Thomas on Jan. 14, causing him to lose consciousness.
The lawsuit alleges actions by police led to Thomas’ death nine days later. The filing says Thomas called 911 that night asking for help because of hallucinations and an adverse reaction to cocaine.
Columbus city officials declined to comment.