November 26, 2009

Independent Autopsy Says Taser-Killing of Craig Prescott Was Not an Accident


38-year old Craig Prescott, a former sheriff's deputy, died in a taser-related killing back in April 2009 while he was in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail. The original autopsy concluded that the death was accidental. [SOURCE]

The autopsy ruling didn't seem right to Prescott's family. They commissioned an independent autopsy on April 15 by Dr. David Posey (Glenoaks Pathology Medical Center). Dr. Posey's autopsy concludes that the accident was not an accident. This autopsy report says that Prescott died from a lack of oxygen to the brain during a struggle with jailers.

Marilyn Prescott, Craig Prescott's mother, said she believes jail officials subdued her son in a manner that suffocated him, so they are responsible for his death.
"He was deprived of oxygen, so he couldn't breathe," she said. "It just saddens me to read this report, because now I know this was an egregious act."
The Stanislaus County coroner's office conducted its own autopsy a day after Prescott's death and released a report of its findings in early June. Pathologist Dr. Eugene Carpenter performed the autopsy under contract with the coroner's office.

Sheriff Adam Christianson has said jail officials followed departmental guidelines in trying to restrain and move Prescott.

In early October, Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said the jail officials were not responsible for Prescott's death. He died in a Modesto hospital two days after deputies at the jail used Tasers and pepper spray to subdue him when he acted out in their custody.

Fladager's report culminated a six-month inquiry into whether jail deputies acted criminally April 11 in subduing Prescott. She determined they did not, citing a coroner's report that said Prescott died of hypertensive heart disease and determined his death was accidental.

Posey's independent autopsy concluded a different cause of death.

1 comment:

Marilyn A. Prescott said...

Thank you for printing this story. Currently we are waiting for our attorney to file the lawsuit. Adam Christianson is running for reelection as sheriff. Christianson had received a large sum of money from the Federal Government to provide better service for the mentally ill inmates. The grant money was to be used to improve conditions at the Safety Center, train his deputies how to treat or handle the mentally ill, and have access to proper medical care and treatment. That $917,000.00 is missing and the sheriff has not given the Grand Jury answers as to its whereabouts. This is the most corrupt Stanislaus County has ever been. The inmate who was in the cell next to my son, Craig, was also an ex deputy and a convicted child molester. He cut a deal with the DA by saying in their report that the eight deputies who piled on top of my son and did not allow him to breathe even when he struggled with all his might to get air, did everything "by the book."Husky served eight months and got a two week kick for his cooperation. Husky does not have to register as a sex offender even though there is a recorded admission of his guilt over the phone conversation he had with the victim. Two detectives orchestrated the entire thing. See the Sacramento Bee/ Plea Bargain in Sex Case Raises Questions. The Office of John Burris is handling our case. Please pray for me and my family to have JUSTICE.