Handcuffed Woman Died After Falling Out of Open Car Door in Moving Patrol Car During Mental Health Crisis

Brianna Grier of Sparta, Georgia, was a 28-year-old mother of 3-year-old twin girls whom she adored. Like more than 28 million other Americans, Brianna lived with mental illness, namely schizophrenia. Rarely, she became erratic and uncontrollable, resulting in the family calling the police for assistance on a couple of occasions.

Officers usually responded well and assisted Brianna during those crisis moments.

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On July 15, 2022, Brianna’s parents called the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office seeking help during a mental health crisis. Brianna was manic and uncontrollable, and felt that officers could help calm her down. It is a decision they wish they had never made.

Lt. Marlin Primus, Sheriff Tomlyn Primus, and Deputy Timothy Legette responded to the call. Brianna explained she needed medicine because she was suffering an anxiety attack. The officers knew of Briann and her mental health issues, yet they decided that alcohol was the source of her behavior.

Most of us would be upset at the idea of getting arrested for a crime we know we didn’t commit, especially during a mental health episode. She was not an exception, and resisted as officers attempted to handcuff and place her in the back of the patrol car. Altogether, officers spent about 10 minutes attempting to get her into the car.

Police officers are human. Their jobs as public servants required they uphold certain standards, but emotions and adrenaline do run high in difficult situations. In their haste to get Brianna into the car, they didn’t realize they had not properly closed the door.

As Brianna was transported to the police station, she fell out of the back door. Officers stopped the vehicle. Body cameras captured the moment officers exited the car, seeing Brianna lying face down on the concrete road. They called her name, but received no reply. Another officer can be heard telling the other to turn off his body camera. The footage ends.

She was transported to a hospital, where doctors determined that she suffered blunt force trauma to the head. She fell into a coma, passing away from her injuries on July 21, six days after the incident.

The Medical Examiner determined Brianna’s death was accidental. None of the officers was criminally charged. The Grier family filed a lawsuit against the officers involved in the arrest. I cannot find information regarding a settlement or payment to the family.

Should the officers have faced criminal charges in Brianna’s death? Tell me your thoughts about this case.

My deepest condolences to the Grier family.

Rest in peace, Brianna. May your memory live on forever.

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