CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a 39-year-old woman who died in custody earlier this year a homicide.
However, the medical examiner's office states that doesn't mean she died because of any wrongdoing, and said it will be up to the legal system to determine if anyone acted inappropriately.
The woman, Tasha Grant, was being held in county jail back in May on vandalism and aggravated menacing charges. News 5 Investigators obtained records that show she was taken to MetroHealth Hospital on May 2 for chest pains.
Three days later, on May 5, while still in the hospital, she became agitated and had to be physically restrained, according to the autopsy report released Thursday.
According to a hospital police report, Grant, a double leg amputee, threw herself onto the floor and would not cooperate with medical staff.
Officers were called to Grant's hospital room to assist with getting her back into bed.
According to police, Grant threatened and "attempted to approach them aggressively."
That's when officers said they took Grant's arms, lifted her by her waist and torso and put her onto the bed, with one officer writing that he placed his hands on Grant's back to hold her against the bed as she resisted and made threats.
Police wrote that medical staff then "medicated her in the arm," and a deputy handcuffed Grant to the bed.
Thirteen minutes after the restraint, Grant went into cardiac arrest and died, according to the autopsy.
RELATED: Woman, 39, dies after medical emergency while in Cuyahoga County Jail custody
Her cause of death was listed as "Physical restraint in the setting of congestive heart failure," the autopsy report stated; her death was ruled a homicide.
We were told that the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department is investigating what happened.
A MetroHealth spokesperson wouldn't comment on the case, citing patient privacy laws.
