The family of a 37-year-old Cleveland woman who died after a call to police for mental health assistance is speaking out about what they call a 'cover-up'.
Cassandra Johnson, Anderson's mother, called it "crazy" that the investigation into the November 2014 death has lagged on for 17 months without the officers involved being charged or disciplined.
"It's taken this long to move forward," said Johnson. "We thought we were moving forward and we weren't."
Anderson's brother, Joell, said it appeared police were protecting the officers involved after the investigation lagged from Cleveland police to county prosecutors and then to the sheriff's department. The Ohio Attorney General, and now a special master, was appointed to review the investigation.
"They're just passing the ball around--it's like nobody wants to deal with it, so yea, I would say it's a cover-up."
Tanisha's sister, Jennifer Johnson, said, "All the family wants is justice for all sister."
Tanisha's uncle, Michael Anderson, insisted that "Tanisha was not a criminal--this was a distress call and they handled it like a criminal."
The Anderson family not only wanted the investigation to move forward, but also encouraged passage of what they call "Tanisha's Law," which would require police in Ohio to receive special training when dealing with the mentally ill.
