The Tribune

AN AMERICAN prosecutor has ruled that police officers were justified in using force to subdue a Bahamian medical school graduate who died in police custody in Connecticut last year after struggling with officers and showing signs of mental illness.

Michael Regan, the New London State’s Attorney, released his findings on the death in October, 2014, of 31-year-old Lashano Gilbert on Thursday. Mr Gilbert was arrested for attempted carjacking and assault.

Mr Regan said police did not use deadly force on Mr Gilbert, but used physical force - including stun guns - that was necessary to prevent him from harming himself and several officers, and to prevent him from escaping. Mr Gilbert became unresponsive and died in an ambulance taking him to a hospital from the police station. Several officers suffered minor injuries.

Mr Gilbert, who grew up in the Bahamas, is said to have graduated from a medical school in Cuba and was fluent in multiple languages. He was in the process of upgrading his medical licence in Canada.

Chief Medical Examiner James Gill determined that Mr Gilbert’s death was caused by complications from a sickle cell disease condition that was aggravated by his struggle with police. Mr Gill found no trauma or injury that would have caused his death.

He also said Mr Gilbert’s struggles with officers and a psychotic episode caused a physical reaction that prevented his blood from carrying enough oxygen to his body. Mr Gill ruled the death a homicide, but that did not mean officers committed any crime.

Police said Mr Gilbert was in New London to visit his aunt, Albertha Fletcher, while travelling from Toronto to the Bahamas. On the evening of October 3, 2014, he jumped into a woman’s car, talked “gibberish” and assaulted her, authorities said.

Mr Gilbert ran at a responding officer, yelled incoherently and flailed his arms, then fell to the ground when the officer shot him with a stun gun, police said. Authorities said Mr Gilbert talked about how a ghost went into his stomach and said he jumped into the woman’s car to get help.

Mr Gilbert struggled with officers during his arrest and while being brought by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London, where authorities said he calmed down and was discharged back into the custody of police, who brought him to the police station.

Police say they had to subdue Mr Gilbert with force again when he struggled with officers at the station and appeared to be trying to kill himself by removing his trousers and twisting them as if trying to make a rope. He was brought back to Lawrence Memorial, became unresponsive in the ambulance and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Mr Gilbert’s family has filed notice with New London officials that they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against police.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) had called for the US Justice Department to investigate Mr Gilbert’s death.

Representatives of the NAACP were accompanied by Mr Gilbert’s mother, Donna Smith, who had flown from the Bahamas on learning of her son’s death, when they made the announcement.

Mrs Smith was quoted then as saying that her son was incapable of committing the crime of which he was accused. “Anyone who know him, know he’s not that kind of person,” she said. “Anyone who know him back home know that’s not Lashano. I don’t know who that is they’re talking about. That’s not my son.”

According to a report in The Day newspaper last October, a staff attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Connecticut had noted that Mr Gilbert’s death is the 15th to occur in that state after someone was stunned by a police Taser.

“There seems to be a dark cloud over the New London Police Department,” said Scot X Esdaile, president of the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP. “We have been here in New London far too many times. We have asked the US Justice Department to come down here several times to investigate corruption at the New London Police Department.”

“Tasers were originally supposed to be used as alternatives to lethal force,” Mr Esdaile said. “Now we’re seeing how these instruments are being used as tools for torture.”