An Ohio medical examiner’s office announced Friday that the death of Tanisha Anderson, the Cleveland woman who died after police slammed her on the ground last year, has been ruled a homicide.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office said Anderson died “as a result of being physically restrained in a prone position by Cleveland police.”
The 37-year-old woman died in November after family members called the cops for help during one of Anderson’s mental health episodes. Anderson reportedly suffered from heart and mental health issues, both factors that led to her death, according to the medical examiner’s office. When police arrived, family members agreed to let them take her to a hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Police maintain that Anderson struggled with officers escorting her to a police cruiser, when she became unresponsive. But family members tell a different story, saying officers used a “takedown” move that landed Anderson on the concrete. One of the officers also allegedly put his knee in Anderson’s back as she lay on the ground.
Joell Anderson, the victim’s brother, told reporters a short time after Anderson’s death that the officers made no attempt to resuscitate his sister. An ambulance arrived 20 minutes after the incident.
On Friday, Anderson’s family released a statement “demand[ing] justice for Tanisha, a thorough criminal investigation and an independent prosecutor that results in accountability by the police officers and the Cleveland Police Department,” per WOIO.
An investigation continues. The two officers involved have been placed on restricted duty.
SOURCE: Huffington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Handout
