Matthew Ajibade, 21, a student and artist was killed while in police custody in Savannah, GA in January. (Google Images)
Matthew Ajibade, 21, a student and artist was killed while in police custody in Savannah, GA in January. (Google Images)
Matthew Ajibade, 21, a student and artist was killed while in police custody in Savannah, GA in January. (Google Images)

Reuters is reporting that two sheriff’s deputies and a healthcare worker have been indicted in the death of Matthew Ajibade, 21, who was killed while in police custody in Savannah, GA.

Jason Paul Kenny, Maxine Evans and Gregory Brown were all charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of college student Matthew Ajibade at the Chatham County jail, according to a copy of the indictment published online by the Savannah Morning News. On Jan. 1, Ajibade was taken into custody when police responded to a domestic violence call. Ajibade’s girlfriend says that she was calling for help because Ajibade, who had bipolar disorder, was having a manic episode.

The author writes:

The indictment said Kenny used excessive force when he tasered the restrained Ajibade, killing him. It added that Evans and Brown, the healthcare worker at the Chatham County jail, failed to monitor Ajibade after the assault.

The next day, Evans and Brown altered logs at the jail indicating that checks were made on Ajibade’s welfare that had not been conducted and Brown lied to an investigator about those checks, according to the indictment.

An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed Ajibade’s death was caused by “blunt force trauma” with injuries to his head.

Nine sheriff’s deputies were fired in early May over the incident. The Morning News reported that Kenny and Evans were among those nine, and that three other deputies involved in the incident had earlier left the department.

Mark O’Mara, the family’s lawyer, told the Morning News on Wednesday that he and Ajibade’s family were not satisfied with the charges.

‘(The district attorney) failed to get a felony murder indictment, and that is her responsibility,’ O’Mara said. ‘They are disappointed that nine out of 12 people involved in their son or cousin or brother’s death have gotten away without any criminal liability.’

Officials said Ajibade fought with deputies while being booked and had to be restrained. After making a check on Ajibade in the cell, deputies found him unconscious. He died at the jail.

Read more at Reuters or the Savannah Morning News.

Follow the Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

Previous articleBassist Thundercat Talks Jazz, Hip-Hop and Space
Next articleMarva Collins: Education Pioneer Dead at 78
TheBurtonWire.com is the premiere online destination for people who think for themselves. This blog offers news from the African Diaspora, culture that is produced by often overlooked populations and opinion that is informed and based on fact. Tired of the onslaught of websites and talking heads that regurgitate what people want to hear, TheBurtonWire.com is a publication that elevates news and perspectives that people need to hear. TheBurtonWire.com is for individual thinkers who understand that they are part of a larger collective. What is this collective? Free thinking people that care about the world, who will not be categorized or boxed in by society or culture and are interested in issues and topics that defy stereotypes and conventional wisdom.