Family of Indiana man who died after being handcuffed speaks along with attorney Ben Crump

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- Family and famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump held an emotionally news conference Monday following that newly released body camera footage of Rhyker Earl's death, demanding more answers from authorities.

The 26-year-old father of two died after an encounter with sheriff's deputies and paramedics inside his home earlier this month.

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Crump said Earl's death was the result of a failure of duty to a man who was in the midst of a medical emergency.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office released the body camera footage of Earl's encounter with deputies who responded to his home in DeMotte after he suffered what his family said was his third seizure of the day. Earl had epilepsy.

The deputies were called in because paramedics were having trouble controlling him.

Crump said the video, "Shows Rhyker pleading for his life while officers have him pinned down, face down, handcuffed. They seemed to ignore his cries for help."

Minutes into the encounter, deputies restrained Earl on the ground, asking him to remain calm as he pleaded for his life in front of his family.

READ MORE | Police release bodycam video of incident that led to Indiana man's death after being handcuffed

Responders administered several shots of sedatives. Eventually Earl loses consciousness and paramedics performed CPR before taking him to the hospital. He died two days later.

An autopsy report is still pending, and Crump stopped short of saying the sheriff's deputies' actions led to his death, but he denounced what he called their lack of training and compassion.

"They didn't need excessive force. They didn't need him to be pinned face down in handcuffs," he said.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office disputed Crump's interpretation of events, saying in a statement released on Sept. 19, "Per training, deputies were holding him in such a way that would not restrict
breathing, and Mr. Earl was vocalizing during the entire incident. Deputies also placed Mr. Earl on his side, also known as the 'recovery position.'"

The Indiana State Police are currently conducting an independent investigation into the matter.

While Earl's family said they are seeking justice for his death, they have yet to file a civil suit. Crump said they are waiting for more information before doing so.