On Friday (May 8) nine deputies with Georgia Chatham County sheriff's office were terminated after the death of a 22-year-old African American male, Mathew Ajibade. Ajibade was also classified as mentally ill as a result of suffering from bipolar disorder.
Ajibade was detained after physically attacking his girlfriend and in the process of the arrest he had an episode. During this episode Ajibade was subdued by three officers leading to one officer being injured (broken nose) in the process of the struggle. Ajibade was then placed in a restraint chair where he was tasered and was later found unresponsive.
The decision of terminating the officers came after a thorough investigation led by internal affairs and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Since the death of Ajibade new policies have been set by Chatham County Sheriff Al St. Lawrence regarding security procedures and the use of onsite medical personnel for suspects on medications.
There are still points of interest in this case that have yet to be made clear but the conclusion of the investigation will shed light on the incident and what specifically caused the death of Ajibade.
Taking into account that this case is an ongoing investigation, the findings of the case won't be presented to the masses until it has first been presented to a grand jury, stated by Chatham County District Attorney Meg Heap.
Nine officers terminated in Georgia