Police release bodycam video of incident that led to Indiana man's death after being handcuffed
JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- The Jasper County Sheriff's Office released bodycam video of the incident that led to the death of Rhyker Earl with, they said, permission from Indiana State Police, who are conducting an independent investigation.
The sheriff's office said they are not trying to draw conclusions about the actions of anyone involved in the incident as the state police investigation continues.
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The roughly 45 minutes of footage consists of four different videos. It begins with Jasper County deputies entering Earl's home in DeMotte on the night of Sept. 8.
The 26-year-old's grandmother called 911 after Earl suffered a seizure.
READ MORE: Father dies after being handcuffed, pinned to floor by Jasper County deputies during seizure: family
Once inside, the father of two can be seen on the video trying to put on a shirt, asking first responders to leave him alone while his grandmother can be heard asking him to sit down. Then she speaks with a deputy.
"What's the issue?" the deputy asks.
"He has epileptic seizures," his grandmother answers.
Then a conversation between a responding deputy and Earl's grandmother is cut short.
"Hey! Don't (expletive) touch the medics!" the deputy yells. "You're going to the hospital! Alright? Don't (expletive) hit them! You don't (expletive) hit them! You understand?"
"Get on the ground," the deputy then says as they tussle. "Put your hands behind your back!"
RELATED: Sheriff responds to 'misleading claims' after Rhyker Earl dies after being handcuffed during seizure
From that point, deputies begin trying to restrain Earl. They place him in handcuffs and on the floor. In the video, you can see what looks to be a deputy placing his hand on Earl's head and another deputy with his boot to Earl's body in an attempt to restrain him.
At one point, Earl is seen beating his own head on the floor while handcuffed. Paramedics repeatedly tell him to breathe and remain calm.
"Hey Rhyker, if you just chill out everything will be alright," one deputy says.
"Please don't take me," he responds.
"Just settle down," the deputy says.
"I'm going to die!" says Earl.
"You're not going to die," the deputy responds. "We're trying to help you."
"Take a breath, there we go," a paramedic says.
Deputies then appear to briefly place their hands on Earl's head while trying to calming down. Then they use a pillow which they said was given to them by relatives to secure his head.
Another angle shows his grandmother trying to calm Earl down.
"Rhyker, grandma's right here," she tells him. "They're trying to help you."
First responders are seen administering the first of multiple shots of medication.
"It should have kicked in by now," a paramedic says
"He's just eating these drugs up," another adds.
Minutes go by and Earl stops pleading for his life, then appears to go unconscious. His grandmother then asks the question that would set off a family lawsuit.
"Is there a pulse?" she asks.
"We're getting there," a paramedic replies.
ABC7 is not showing the moment Earl loses consciousness. Paramedics quickly started CPR, which is also on the bodycam video.
He was taken to the hospital, where he was placed on life support for two days before he died.
The Lake County, Indiana, coroner said Earl's cause of death is still pending.
His family, retaining famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump in the wake of his death, claims responding officers were too aggressive and restricted Earl's breathing.
The Jasper County Sheriff's Office, disputes that claim, saying in a statement Friday in part, "We feel it is critical that our community have as much information as possible" and then added, "By releasing this video, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office is not drawing any conclusions about the actions of anyone involved in this incident. The independent investigation will draw those conclusions."
ABC7 reached out to attorney Ben Crump for a comment, but have not heard back.
