A new report has challenged the official account of the death of Tyrone West, who died in police custody under questionable circumstances in 2013
Story Transcript
JAISAL NOOR, TRNN: Before Freddie Gray there was Tyrone West, another Baltimore resident who died in police custody under questionable circumstances. And now his sister, Tawanda Jones who has spent nearly three years demanding justice for her brother who died in police custody – says she has new evidence that will help for her cause: TAWANDA JONES, BROTHER OF TYRONE WEST: So right now I’m asking for my brother’s body to be exhumed. I think about Anthony Anderson, and his ruptured spleen and all the broke ribs, and you are talking about 2-3 officers. I think about Freddie Gray who had his whole spinal cord severed, 2-3 officers handled him before he was placed in the van. So you are talking about 11-15 men beating him, throwing haymakers, pepper-spraying him. I want to know what is body is going to tell us, I want his body to speak. NOOR: Outside the office of the state medical examiner, Tawanda Jones has released a new medical report that contradicts the official ruling on her how her brother, 44-year old Tyrone West, died after a traffic stop. The Maryland State Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler ruled West died due to a heart condition known as Cardiac Arrhythmia after fighting with police officers. Then State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein declined to charge any of the officers involved. But the family disputes that he had preexisting conditions and blames police. EMMA ANDERSON, AUNT OF TYRONE WEST: A month before to Tyrone, he had a complete physical and he was really, really healthy. He was so healthy that he would help grandmother, our mother, do our exercises every morning. He would even pick her up bring her down the steps, up the steps, and the boy just kept going going going the boy was healthy. NOOR: And now a review of the autopsy by New Jersey Pathologist David Manion has determined that West died from asphyxiation caused by police. That’s why Jones says her family will continue lead weekly rallies demanding justice. Jones says current State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has promised to look into the case this week. JONES: So I called Marilyn Mosby’s office and she got her deputy Jane to call me back. I’m going to see her this week with this new information and see what they do with it. Because they have a police misconduct– and I don’t want these jokers fired, flipping burgers, I want them thrown under the bus in a jail cell. NOOR: She declined to reopen the case last year. The medical report is part of a federal lawsuit seeking more than a hundred million in damages from the Baltimore and Morgan State University police that they say used excessive force in the July 18, 2013 traffic stop that ended in West’s death. The State’s Attorney’s office and police department have declined to comment on this development in this case. With Cameron Granadino, this is Jaisal Noor.
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