Rhyker Earl's family revealed he had been living with seizures for over seven years, with episodes frequent enough that they had developed a routine to care for him. On September 8, after multiple seizures, Earl's grandmother called 911, seeking medical assistance at their DeMotte, Indiana, home. However, what began as a routine call turned tragic when Jasper County deputies arrived and restrained Earl for over 20 minutes, leading to his eventual death.
The incident, captured on bodycam footage, shows deputies handcuffing and pinning Earl down as he struggles and repeatedly calls for help. Earl's family can be heard in the footage explaining that the 26-year-old had recently suffered a seizure and was confused. They grew increasingly concerned as Earl was given multiple shots of what appeared to be sedatives, becoming unresponsive. Less than 30 minutes after deputies arrived, Earl stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated. He was transported to a hospital, placed on life support, and died two days later.
In a press conference, Earl's grandmother expressed regret over calling 911, saying, "I will regret it until the day I die that I ever called anybody." Earl's aunt, Miracle Gawlinski, described her anguish, stating, "I had to beg and plead for anybody… 'Do something, he's blue.'"
The family's attorney, Ben Crump, vowed to seek justice, comparing the case to high-profile deaths involving excessive force, like George Floyd and Elijah McClain. Crump stated, "We will get to the truth of what happened."
Earl's family emphasized that he was never violent after seizures, only confused and scared. The sheriff's office has released the footage, but an investigation by Indiana State Police is ongoing. Meanwhile, experts continue to stress the need for better training for first responders in handling post-seizure patients. Earl's death has raised concerns about how individuals with medical conditions are treated in such encounters.
Link: CNN
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