Black Alabama man found dead hanging from a beam after filing lawsuit against abusive police officers and family on suspicion of foul play

Dennoriss Richardson, a black man who filed a lawsuit against a local police department in Alabama earlier this yr, was found dead last month, hanging from a rope in an abandoned house.

His family believes the 39-year-old man could have been lynched by cops from the Sheffield Police Department in Colbert County, whom he was suing.

After all, his wife, Leigh Ann Richardson, told local media that police had repeatedly arrested, beaten and harassed him through the years, which escalated after he filed a lawsuit in February accusing six officers of violating the foundations. Fourth Amendment rights using excessive force and denying him medical services under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“I need answers,” said his wife, Leigh Ann Richardson Alabama media group. “It was imagined to seem like suicide. It’s not suicide.”

She said her husband was harassed by Sheffield police officers after he filed a lawsuit against them on February 25.

Richardson’s mother, Bonita Richardson, also stated that her son had been under a lot of stress since filing the lawsuit because he feared retaliation from officers who had already abused him.

“He was truly afraid for his life,” she told Alabama Media Group. “I think it’s murder.”

Richardson’s attorney, Roderick Van Daniel, can be suspicious of his client’s death and calls for a federal investigation.

But Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentinewhose office investigated the death concluded that every one evidence indicated that Richardson took his own life.

“We spoke to family members who said that the last time they spoke to Mr. Richardson he was depressed and anxious about his future following the allegations against him. He was just down and out. He gave away some of his wealth. It looked prefer it was suicide,” Balentine told the outlet.

“The prosecutor’s office ordered an autopsy. The body was transported to the Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville. The cause of death was suicide.”

Hanging

Balentine said Richardson’s body was found hanging from a rope from a beam in an abandoned house on Sept. 28 after the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a suspicious vehicle.

“We had a long talk with the mother,” the sheriff told AL.com. “She thought Mr. Richardson was depressed because his estranged wife was causing him some problems. They were separated. There was a lot going on in Mr. Richardson’s life.”

Bonita Richardson, nevertheless, denied telling the sheriff that her son suffered from depression.

“My son was joyful,” she said. “He did not have any mental problems. He would never kill himself. He would not hurt himself.

Lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, Richardson was attending a hearing in Sheffield Municipal Court on drug charges on Nov. 30, 2022, when the judge ordered him to go away the courtroom, which described Richardson as having asthma and diabetes.

The lawsuit says Richardson was attempting to use the restroom when Sheffield Police Lt. Max Dotson attacked him, grabbing him by the arms as if to arrest him, though Richardson had done nothing mistaken.

It’s unclear from the lawsuit why Dotson grabbed his arms, but Dotson was later fired and convicted on charges of assault in reference to one other incident in 2022. A former policeman was also arrested DUI charges earlier this yr.

But after Richardson was taken to jail that day, he was attacked again by Sheffield police officer Darien Fountain, who punched him within the throat and pushed his head against a wall before falsely accusing him of assault, based on the lawsuit . states.

From there, Dotson and Fountain strapped Richardson to a restraint chair for 3 hours before calling him a “wormwood and a son of a bitch” and saying, “NO ONE CAN HELP YOU.”

Dotson later pepper-sprayed his cell, knowing he suffered from asthma, and also entered his cell to hit him, the lawsuit states.

Sheffield Police Constable Brett Evans then tasered Richardson on the orders of Sheffield Police Chief Constable Ricky Terry, before he was placed back in a restraint chair for several hours.

Sheffield police officer Elbert Pope was named within the lawsuit for denying Richardson food and medical care.

The lawsuit mentions one other incident that occurred earlier this yr, on January 9, when he was “brutally attacked” by Sheffield Police officers Billy Hall and Sinac Butcher as he tried to make use of a prison phone to call call 911 for medical assistance.

Richardson was free before his death.

“We want to be transparent when it comes to our investigation,” Sheriff Balentine said.

“We even called the US Attorney General’s office to ask if they could look into this as well. It’s just a request. Because there are some concerns when it comes to family. We don’t mind if they come and take a look at it.”