The estate of Richard Metcalf tells WIVB News that they havefiled a notice of claim against Erie County and the Depew, New YorkPolice Department. Metcalf, 35, died in November after suffering amassive heart attack while in the custody of the Erie CountySheriff's jail division.
"I want to get to the bottom of it. I want to know the truth.I want to know what happened. I think his mother and I deserve toknow what happened,” the victim’s father, Richard Metcalf, Sr.,tells WIVB.
The younger Metcalf was in police custody at the time of hisdeath because he had been arrested days earlier by a Depew policeofficer called to respond to a burglary in progress. He was shotwith a Taser during the ordeal and taken to the Erie County MedicalCenter shortly after due to an elevated heart rate, but was thentransported to a holding center. Once back in a cell, police say hestarted acting erratically.
"He was spitting blood at the officers as they were trying tode-escalate the situation,” Holding Center SuperintendentThomas Diina told WIVB. “It was reported that he was pokinghimself with a fork, raking his face across the bars in front ofhis cell in order to get his mouth bloody so that he could spit atthe officers.”
Metcalf’s family disputes that claim, though, and suspects foulplay.
"My personal opinion is that he was severely beaten. There'sno other explanation. There's no other logical explanation forthat. If you can imagine your child like that after you just sawhim,” his father told the network last year while holding backtears.
After officers in the holding cell composed Metcalf, he wastaken once again to the medical center where he died shortlyafter.
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