advertisement

Judge tosses excessive force lawsuit in homeless man's death

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - A judge has dismissed an excessive force lawsuit brought by the family of a central Illinois homeless man who died in 2016 after police restrained him.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long ruled Friday that the officers' actions were 'œreasonable'ť when they called for an ambulance, held Richard Turner on the ground and handcuffed him. He later died.

Raised in Champaign, Turner was a high school football player. He was a fixture around the University of Illinois campus. He had mental problems and was schizophrenic.

On Nov. 16, 2016, someone called police asking to check on Turner, who was acting erratically. He ran when he saw officers.

The autopsy report found that while officers' restraint 'œcould be a contributing factor'ť to the death, the 54-year-old died of a heart attack.

Family attorney Victor Henderson says he's considering an appeal.

___

Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.