CLEVELAND, OH — Wednesday morning, family and attorneys for a woman who died in Cuyahoga County custody earlier this year called for reform after body camera footage was released on Monday.
Tasha Grant was being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on vandalism and aggravated menacing charges. Records showed she was taken to MetroHealth Hospital on May 2 for chest pains, where three days later, she became agitated and had to be restrained.
Grant was a double leg amputee, and according to a hospital police report, she got out of bed and tried to leave her room.
Attorney Stan Jackson said four officers picked her up and held Grant down onto the bed, suffocating her.
Jackson said Grant told the officers she could not breathe 23 times.
"We've been involved in a lot of cases, we've seen a lot of videos, and this is the most horrific one we've seen," Jackson said during Wednesday's press conference.
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According to the police report, medical staff then "medicated her in the arm."
The body camera video showed that officers cuffed her to the bed, and she seemed to calm down.
"They were more concerned with handcuffing her to the bed than making sure she was treated for the issue that she had," Jackson said.
About 15 minutes after the clip of officers handcuffing her to the bed ended, another body camera clip begins with a frantic caregiver trying to perform CPR. According to the autopsy, 13 minutes after the restraint, Grant went into cardiac arrest and died.
Andre Grant, Tasha Grant's brother, spoke during Wednesday's press conference and said that the family learned of his sister's death through the media.
They also learned her death was ruled a homicide in September, the same way.
"I love her and miss her," Andre Grant said as his voice cracked with emotion. "I wish that never would have happened."
RELATED: Death of woman who died in Cuyahoga County custody ruled homicide
Andre said he has not received any communication from the hospital or the Cuyahoga County Jail regarding his sister's death.
Attorney Robert Gresham said the family is looking for the officers and hospital staff to be held accountable for Grant's death, as well as policy reform within county law enforcement agencies.
"They [hospital staff] knew what she was there for, and this was a systemic failure across he board," Gresham said.
Earlier this week, Gresham and Jackson released a statement on behalf of Grant's family:
"On behalf of the family of Tasha Grant, we were all saddened to see first-hand video of Ms. Grant's tragic and completely unnecessary death.
Ms. Grant was experiencing health issues at the time of her incarceration at the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center May 2 which necessitated her transfer to the MetroHealth Medical Center for treatment.
While there, Ms. Grant experienced a mental health crisis but rather than treat her with compassion and professionalism, officers physically restrained her ultimately causing respiratory issues that resulted in her passing May 5.
Ms. Grant's family wonders why officers felt the need to physically restrain Ms. Grant, a double-leg amputee. The callousness exhibited by the MetroHealth officers and deputy who responded to the call for assistance is truly shocking.
Ms. Grant's loved ones are working tirelessly to ensure that this kind of tragedy doesn't happen to another family.
We will not stop in our quest for justice for Ms. Grant."
In a statement a Cuyahoga County spokesperson said she couldn't comment on the case citing the ongoing investigation into Grant's death and the potential of a lawsuit.
A MetroHealth spokesperson said she was unable to comment on the specifics of any case citing patient privacy and legal requirements.
A special prosecutor has been appointed to the case.
