Parents of man who died in custody discuss police handling of mentally ill suspects

The parents of Steven Barrier, the young man who died in police custody back in October, and their attorney gathered at a Stamford church Tuesday night to discuss how officers deal with people who suffer from mental illnesses.

News 12 Staff

Dec 4, 2019, 12:19 AM

Updated 1,617 days ago

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The parents of Steven Barrier, the young man who died in police custody back in October, and their attorney gathered at a Stamford church Tuesday night to discuss how officers deal with people who suffer from mental illnesses.
Barrier's parents say their son's death was a miscarriage of justice that more people need to know about.
Body camera video shows the events that led up to Barrier's death. He was carried to a squad car where he lost consciousness on the way to the station.
Barrier's family hopes their quest will change how police handle people with mental illness, which they say was overlooked during the incident.
Along with raising awareness, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said he does intend to pursue the case legally, but he did not want to get into specifics.
While the exact cause of Barrier's death remains under investigation, the state's attorney's office says the body camera video does not show any sign of police causing Barrier any kind of harm.
 


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