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Gabby Petito’s family seeks $50 million from Utah police department for inadequate response to Brian Laundrie’s abuse



CNN

The family of Gabby Petito has submitted a $50 million claim against the Moab, Utah, Police Department, arguing the 22-year-old may not have been killed last year by her fiancé if officers had recognized he was the “true primary aggressor” in a domestic dispute about two weeks before her death.

Petito’s parents are seeking $50 million in damages, claiming Moab officers were negligent in failing to investigate Brian Laundrie, 23, and his “self-evidently false claims” and the department was negligent in failing to train officers to investigate domestic violence incidents, according to their notice of claim sent to the department Monday, the first step in initiating a lawsuit against it.

Additionally, Petito’s family claims her killing was caused by the wrongful acts or neglect of the police department and its officers.

Moab officers “failed to recognize the serious danger (Petito) was in and failed to investigate fully and properly,” Brian Stewart, an attorney for the family said Monday in a news conference, referencing the moment Moab police stopped Petito and Laundrie after a witness said he saw them involved in a domestic incident.

“They did not have the training that they needed to recognize the clear signs that were evident that morning: that Gabby was a victim and that she was in serious need of immediate help,” Stewart said.

A Moab city spokesperson declined to comment, saying, “The City does not comment on pending litigation.”

Petito, an aspiring travel influencer, vanished last summer on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. As a nationwide search ensued, attention also turned to Laundrie, who returned home to Florida and vanished in a nature reserve.

Days into the search for Laundrie, Petito’s body was found in Grand Teton National Forest, and a coroner ruled she died by strangulation. Ella’s Laundrie’s body was found in mid-October in the nature reserve, along with a notebook in which she claimed responsibility for her death. A medical examiner determined he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The notice of claim against Moab police comes months after Petito’s mother and father, along with their respective spouses, sued Laundrie’s family, alleging his parents knew their son had killed Petito and were aware of “the whereabouts of her body.”

At the heart of Petito’s family’s claim is the traffic stop last August, which officers executed after being informed the witness “had seen Brian assault Gabby.”

Police pulled over their vehicle – a white Ford van – after it exceeded the speed limit, abruptly left its lane and struck a curb, according to a police report.

Footage recorded by police body cameras shows Moab police officers talking to Petito and Laundrie, who admitted to having a fight in which Petito said she struck her fiancé first. Officers noticed Petito had cuts on her face and her arm, and she “demonstrated how Brian had violently grabbed her face during their altercation,” telling police Laundrie “gets frustrated with me a lot.”

But Petito also “displayed the classic hallmarks of an abused partner,” the notice says, taking blame for the incident. The officers “did not press further,” the notice says.

According to the family’s claim, a photo taken at the time, which has not been made public, “shows a close-up view of Gabby’s face where blood is smeared on her cheek and left eye, revealing the violent nature of Brian’s attack.”

Laundry told police the couple had been under increasing stress. He has admitted to pushing Petito away from her when she tried to slap him and also to taking her phone from her, claiming he did not have one from her and was afraid that she would leave him. However, later in the interview, he took out his own phone and gave officers his number, the notice says.

Despite the cuts and Laundrie’s inconsistencies, one of the officers said Petito must be booked into jail since, under the domestic violence statutes of Utah, she was considered the primary aggressor and Laundrie the victim.

Both Petito and Laundrie objected, and the officers eventually agreed not to charge Petito as long as she and Laundrie agreed to spend the night apart.

“Roughly two weeks later, Brian brutally murdered Gabby,” the notice says, “leaving her body in the woods of Grand Teton National Forest.”

A review of the Moab Police Department’s handling of the incident by an independent investigator – a captain with the police department in Price, Utah, about 115 miles away – recommended the two officers who responded be placed on probation, saying they made “several unintentional mistakes ” – namely failing to cite anyone for domestic violence, though there appeared to be only sufficient evidence to charge Petito.

The investigative report, released in January, recommended new policies for the department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.

The city at the time did not address any potential discipline for the two officers but said it “intends to implement the report’s recommendations” on new policies for the police department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.

“Based on the report’s findings, the City of Moab believes our officers showed kindness, respect and empathy in their handling of this incident,” the city’s statement said.

Petito’s parents and stepparents did not comment on the litigation during Monday’s virtual news conference at the direction of their lawyers. But her mother de ella acknowledged the footage of the Moab incident was “very painful.”

“I wanted to jump through the screen, rescue her,” Nicole Schmidt said, encouraging victims of domestic violence to reach out for help.

Asked what the family wants the public to remember from Petito’s story, her father Joseph Petito, said people should learn there’s always a way out.

“Her legacy is to help people that don’t see a way out, and there are,” he said.

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The recent killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque have shaken the city. Here’s what we know



CNN

The ambush-style shootings of three Muslim men and the recent killing of a fourth in Albuquerque have alarmed the city’s Muslim community and triggered warnings for mosque-goers as police investigate how the shootings may be linked.

The killings of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, Aftab Hussein, 41, and Naeem Hussain, 25, all have one commonality: the victims were all Muslim and of South Asian descent, according to Albuquerque police.

The three most recent killings happened within the span of two weeks, putting the city on edge as police probed for potential links between the attacks, and put a spotlight on an unsolved homicide from November 2021.

“While we are still sifting through all the evidence to look for more connections, it is deeply troubling that these three men were Muslim and of similar descent,” deputy commander of Albuquerque Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, Kyle Hartsock, said.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation, and an online portal was set up for residents to upload videos and images which might help authorities investigating the killings. The local Crime Stoppers Board has also voted to increase a reward for information leading to an arrest to $20,000.

Police have not come out with any descriptions of a suspect or suspects in the killings. They have, however, said they are seeking “a vehicle of interest,” which may be connected to the four killings. The vehicle is a dark silver sedan-style Volkswagen Jetta or Passat with tinted windows.

Here’s what we know about the killings and the investigation so far:

The most recent of the killings was reported Friday, when Naeem Hussain was found dead by Albuquerque police officers who responded to reports of a shooting just before midnight in the area of ​​Truman Street and Grand Avenue.

After the discovery, Albuquerque police said the homicide “may be connected” to three previous killings of Muslim men from South Asia.

Those three men – Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, Aftab Hussein and Mohammad Ahmadi – were all “ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed,” Hartsock previously said.

Two of them, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and Aftab Hussein, were both Pakistani men and were killed in Southeast Albuquerque near Central Avenue. Police said they “determined there is a connection” between those two deaths.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was shot and killed on Aug. 1. He was found on a sidewalk in the area of ​​Cornell Street and Lead Avenue.

Just days before, on July 26, Aftab Hussein was found with apparent gunshot wounds in the 400 block of Rhode Island. He later died as a result of his injuries, police said.

As investigators probed the recent killings, they turned their attention to the Nov. 7, 2021, homicide of Mohammad Ahmadi, a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed outside a business he ran with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard.

Naeem Hussain migrated as a refugee from Pakistan in 2016 – fleeing persecution as a Shia Muslim – and had just become a US citizen last month, according to his brother-in-law, Ehsan Shahalami.

He opened his own trucking business this year and was described as being a kind, generous and hardworking person.

The day he was killed, he had attended a funeral for the two recent victims and expressed fear about the shootings, according to a spokesman with a mosque in Albuquerque.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain worked on the planning team for the city of Española. He had studied law and human resource management at the University of Punjab in Pakistan before receiving both master’s and bachelor degrees in community and regional planning from the University of New Mexico, according to a news release from the mayor.

“Muhammad was soft-spoken and kind, and quick to laugh,” Major John Ramon Vigil said in a news release last Wednesday. “He was well-respected and well-liked by his coworkers and members of the community.”

Few details have been released about the two other victims. Police said Mohammad Ahmadi was a Muslim man from Afghanistan and Aftab Hussein was a Muslim man from Pakistan.

So far, police have released a flyer showing a “vehicle of interest” in all four killings. But it remains unclear who the car belongs to, or how they are potentially connected to the attacks.

Police said the vehicle “is suspected as being used as a conveyance in recent homicides of 4 Muslim men.”

“We have a very, very strong lead. We have a vehicle of interest … we have got to find this vehicle,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. “We don’t know at this point what it is associated with, or who owns it.”

While police have not definitively said all four attacks are connected, they have said they are looking into whether it is the case.

“There is one strong commonality in all the victims; the race and religion,” Hartsock said in a Thursday briefing.

Authorities are asking the public to come forward with any information which might help in the investigation. Tips may be submitted to the Albuquerque Metro CrimeStoppers website.

After Friday’s killing, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Saturday she will send additional state police to Albuquerque.

“I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we are,” Grisham said in a statement. “We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers – and we WILL find them.”

The attacks have also drawn condemnation from President Joe Biden, who said he was “angered and saddened” by the attacks.

“While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” Biden wrote on Twitter.

The city is now increasing police presence at mosques, Muslim-affiliated schools and the University of New Mexico.

“Albuquerque is on edge right now, and I want to be clear that we, and our partners across law enforcement, are directing every possible resource to these cases. We will protect our community and bring the perpetrator of these crimes to justice. We unequivocally denounce these senseless killings and stand with our Muslim community against intolerance and violence in every form,” said Keller.

“We have heard from the community that the fear is so strong, there is a concern about even things like groceries and getting meals for certain folks in certain areas of town,” Keller said in a weekend briefing. “Our senior affairs department and our community safety department is going to be providing meals as long as we need, to anyone who needs a meal who is affected by this tragedy.”

Meanwhile, local and national Muslim groups have been warning residents to be cautious.

“We urge everyone to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings including making sure that you are not being followed home and avoid walking alone at night,” Islamic Center of New Mexico posted on Facebook. “This is especially true for our members living in the southeast part of the city where these killings have taken place.”

The center said while there is no evidence its mosque is being targeted, it is still taking steps to provide additional security measures.

“The lives of Albuquerque Muslims are in danger. Whoever is responsible for this horrific, hateful shooting spree must be identified and stopped – now,” stressed Council on American-Islamic Relations National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell.

The Council is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of those responsible, the organization announced, calling the series of killings a “horrific, hateful shooting spree.”

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Northfield, New Hampshire homicides: New search underground

Law enforcement will be searching areas in Tilton and Northfield on Saturday in connection to the ongoing investigation into the triple homicide of a mother and her two sons. Officials said Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney , 1, each died of a single gunshot wound. Autopsies by the chief medical examiner revealed that the manner of each death was homicide. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies will be in Tilton and Northfield in the areas of Shaker Road, Laconia Road, Wethersfield Road , Tilton Road, and the ramp areas entering I-93. The search is for physical evidence and is part of the investigation and not the result of new information in the case. The search poses no danger to the public, the Attorney General’s Office said. Officials asked the public to stay off properties of the search area, allow investigators to complete their work and for the public to respect the privacy of residents in the area. The bodies of Sweeney and her sons de ella were discovered Wednesday at their home de ella on Wethersfield Drive. Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward stressed that officials believe there is no danger to the public and the killings were not the result of a random event. Ward said that while officials believe all parties have been identified in the case, “I have not said we know who did it.” He said no arrests have been made in the case, and no one has been charged. Sources told News 9 that Northfield and state police were called to the address just before 11:30 am Wednesday after someone reported that several people might have been injured. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of Sweeney and her two sons of her. A silver Ford F-150 was taken away on a flatbed truck Thursday morning, but there was no word as to why it was removed. K-9 units were also seen going in and out of the home, and officers began searching a wooded area near the home later in the day. Ward said the investigation is active and ongoing. A GoFundMe was launched for the family to help with funeral expenses.

Law enforcement will be searching areas in Tilton and Northfield on Saturday in connection to the ongoing investigation into the triple homicide of a mother and her two sons.

Officials said Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney, 1, each died of a single gunshot wound. Autopsies by the chief medical examiner revealed that the manner of each death was homicide.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies will be in Tilton and Northfield in the areas of Shaker Road, Laconia Road, Wethersfield Road, Tilton Road, and the ramp areas entering I-93.

The search is for physical evidence and is part of the investigation and not the result of new information in the case. The search poses no danger to the public, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Officials asked the public to stay off properties of the search area, allow investigators to complete their work and for the public to respect the privacy of residents in the area.

The bodies of Sweeney and her sons were discovered Wednesday at their home on Wethersfield Drive.

Kassandra Sweeney and her two children

Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward stressed that officials believe there is no danger to the public and the killings were not the result of a random event.

Ward said that while officials believe all parties have been identified in the case, “I have not said we know who did it.”

He said no arrests have been made in the case, and no one has been charged.

Sources told News 9 that Northfield and state police were called to the address just before 11:30 am Wednesday after someone reported that several people might have been injured. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of Sweeney and her two sons of her.

A silver Ford F-150 was taken away on a flatbed truck Thursday morning, but there was no word as to why it was removed.

K-9 units were also seen going in and out of the home, and officers began searching a wooded area near the home later in the day.

Ward said the investigation is active and ongoing.

A GoFundMe was launched for the family to help with funeral expenses.

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Categories
US

Northfield, New Hampshire homicides: New search underground

Law enforcement will be searching areas in Tilton and Northfield on Saturday in connection to the ongoing investigation into the triple homicide of a mother and her two sons. Officials said Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney , 1, each died of a single gunshot wound. Autopsies by the chief medical examiner revealed that the manner of each death was homicide. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies will be in Tilton and Northfield in the areas of Shaker Road, Laconia Road, Wethersfield Road , Tilton Road, and the ramp areas entering I-93. The search is for physical evidence and is part of the investigation and not the result of new information in the case. The search poses no danger to the public, the Attorney General’s Office said. Officials asked the public to stay off properties of the search area, allow investigators to complete their work and for the public to respect the privacy of residents in the area. The bodies of Sweeney and her sons de ella were discovered Wednesday at their home de ella on Wethersfield Drive. Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward stressed that officials believe there is no danger to the public and the killings were not the result of a random event. Ward said that while officials believe all parties have been identified in the case, “I have not said we know who did it.” He said no arrests have been made in the case, and no one has been charged. Sources told News 9 that Northfield and state police were called to the address just before 11:30 am Wednesday after someone reported that several people might have been injured. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of Sweeney and her two sons of her. A silver Ford F-150 was taken away on a flatbed truck Thursday morning, but there was no word as to why it was removed. K-9 units were also seen going in and out of the home, and officers began searching a wooded area near the home later in the day. Ward said the investigation is active and ongoing. A GoFundMe was launched for the family to help with funeral expenses.

Law enforcement will be searching areas in Tilton and Northfield on Saturday in connection to the ongoing investigation into the triple homicide of a mother and her two sons.

Officials said Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney, 1, each died of a single gunshot wound. Autopsies by the chief medical examiner revealed that the manner of each death was homicide.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies will be in Tilton and Northfield in the areas of Shaker Road, Laconia Road, Wethersfield Road, Tilton Road, and the ramp areas entering I-93.

The search is for physical evidence and is part of the investigation and not the result of new information in the case. The search poses no danger to the public, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Officials asked the public to stay off properties of the search area, allow investigators to complete their work and for the public to respect the privacy of residents in the area.

The bodies of Sweeney and her sons were discovered Wednesday at their home on Wethersfield Drive.

Kassandra Sweeney and her two children

Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward stressed that officials believe there is no danger to the public and the killings were not the result of a random event.

Ward said that while officials believe all parties have been identified in the case, “I have not said we know who did it.”

He said no arrests have been made in the case, and no one has been charged.

Sources told News 9 that Northfield and state police were called to the address just before 11:30 am Wednesday after someone reported that several people might have been injured. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of Sweeney and her two sons of her.

A silver Ford F-150 was taken away on a flatbed truck Thursday morning, but there was no word as to why it was removed.

K-9 units were also seen going in and out of the home, and officers began searching a wooded area near the home later in the day.

Ward said the investigation is active and ongoing.

A GoFundMe was launched for the family to help with funeral expenses.

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Greg Abbott appoints Justin Berry, indicted Austin officer, to TCOLE


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New Mexico parade injuries: Driver of car accused of DWI



CNN

An SUV driver who on Thursday evening allegedly struck people along a parade route in Gallup, New Mexico, has been accused of aggravated DWI and other charges, according to the New Mexico State Police.

In total, 15 people with non-life-threatening injuries were transported to hospitals from the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration event, state police officials said Friday in a news release.

Gallup police were told several people in a Chevrolet Tahoe parked along the route of the Ceremonial Night Parade were drinking alcohol, according to state police. As officers approached the SUV, the driver took off and both officers were injured, state police said.

“The Tahoe continued eastbound on West Coal Avenue toward parade participants while officers attempted to move spectators out of the Tahoe’s path,” the release says.

A video taken by witness Sean Justice shows a group of people performing in the street when the crowd burst into screams, with people leaping up and rushing in the opposite direction of what appears to be a moving SUV.

A statement from Gallup city officials said the SUV hit pedestrians, vehicles and a business before it was stopped.

Another video captured by witness Keisha Joe shows what appears to be the SUV which was driven through the parade. In front of the SUV is a damaged car on the sidewalk, its front door crumpled in.

A 33-year-old man who was allegedly driving was arrested and is accused of aggravated DWI, one count of accident involving injury/great bodily harm, 14 counts of accident involving injury/not great bodily harm and other charges, according to state police . The man, a resident of Pinedale, had a suspended/revoked license, the news release said.

Authorities said there is no evidence of a hate crime.

The two male passengers in the SUV were taken to the Gallup Detox Center.

Police cordon off the site where an SUV driver was taken into custody after people were struck Thursday night at a parade.

“We are deeply saddened by this incident. We encourage everyone to attend the remaining Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial events,” city officials said. “The city is working with multiple agencies to ensure safety is of the highest priority. We will begin healing together in this celebration of cultural connections.”

The Gallup Intertribal Ceremony will continue as scheduled. Thursday was the first night of the 11-day-long event. Another parade is scheduled for August 13, according to the event website.

“We’re incredibly saddened and shocked by the life-threatening and traumatic incident that took place last night when a vehicle drove through the Ceremonial Night Parade,” Melissa Sanchez, the executive director of the New Mexico Tourism Department Intertribal Ceremonial Office, said in the release. “We await as law enforcement continues to gather the facts regarding this ongoing situation. Right now, safety is the top priority for community members, participants, travelers, and event staff and volunteers.”

Gallup is in northwestern New Mexico, a little more than a two-hour drive west of Albuquerque. It is home to the Navajo Regional Office Bureau of Indian Affairs.

“We are grateful that no lives were lost due to this senseless act by a few individuals. The perpetrators must be held accountable to the fullest extent. My family and I, as well as many of our Navajo people, witnessed the tragic events firsthand,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a news release. “We saw children who were shedding tears and people shaking with fear and we did our best to comfort them and let them know that everything would be OK.”

Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon released a statement saying, “The Navajo Nation stands with resilience against any acts of violence and sends prayers of protection to those affected. This was a traumatic and triggering event for many, especially for our youth, elders, and our veterans who acted quickly.”

“Hold Gallup in your prayers tonight as we come together in faith and strength for one another. May the Creator and Holy People bless you all tonight as we move forward together,” he said.

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Georgia authorities release body camera footage after woman dies following fall from patrol car



CNN

Georgia authorities released body camera footage Friday of an incident from earlier this month where a mother experiencing what her family called a mental health crisis died due to a fatal injury while in police custody.

Brianna Grier, 28, was experiencing a mental health episode on July 15 when her mother called police to assist with the matter, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference Friday.

Crump, who is representing the Grier family, said Grier had a history of mental health crises and the family had called police several times in the past.

“When they used to come out to the house they’d call an ambulance service,” Grier’s father Marvin Grier said. “The ambulance service would come out and they would take her to the hospital to get some help.”

“But this time they only called the police, and the police didn’t bring the ambulance with them, even though, Ms. Mary (Brianna’s mom) clearly stated she was having an episode,” Crump explained.

Crump said Hancock County Sheriff’s deputies came into the home, handcuffed Grier and placed her in the back of a patrol car to take her into custody for allegedly resisting arrest.

In body camera video released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Grier asks deputies to give her a breathalyzer test and repeatedly tells officers she is not drunk. According to a time stamp on the video, Grier was placed in the patrol car shortly before 1 am on July 15.

Grier then yells to officers saying she’s going to hang herself if she is placed in the car. They proceed to place her in handcuffs and attempt to place her in a squad car but when she resists further, an officer is seen unholstering his taser from her.

When Grier sees this, she yells at officers saying they can rate her, and that she doesn’t care. The officer replies, saying he’s not going to rate her.

The video shows the officer putting the Taser away and then walking away from the rear driver’s side door. When the officer returns, he is seen lifting Grier off the ground and putting her in the back seat of the patrol car.

The body camera video fails to show if officers opened, closed or had any interaction with the rear passenger side door, but an officer is heard asking another officer if the door is closed.

GBI investigators concluded Wednesday that “the rear passenger side door of the patrol car, near where Grier was sitting, was never closed,” according to a news release.

Less than a minute later, after the officers drive away from the Grier family home, the video shows an officer suddenly stop his vehicle and get out.

Once out of the car, the officer locates Grier laying on the side of the road, face down. Grier does n’t respond to the officer, who is tapping her side of her and saying her name of her. The officer then radios to an oncoming patrol car that is behind him that they’re going to need an ambulance.

The footage does not show the moment Grier falls out of the vehicle but does show her laying face first on the ground and the rear passenger car door open.

The second officer says that Grier is still breathing. Grier never responds to the officers calling her name de ella after falling out of the patrol vehicle. The video ends with Grier on the ground while police wait for paramedics.

Attorney Ben Crump speaks at a news conference Friday regarding the death of Brianna Grier.

Crump alleges that police didn’t secure Grier in a seatbelt while she was handcuffed in the back of the police car and as a result, when the vehicle started moving, she somehow fell out of the car, landed on her head, cracked her skull and then went into a coma for six days before dying because of her injuries.

Investigators reviewed multiple body camera videos, conducted numerous interviews and conducted “mechanical tests on the patrol car” to determine “if there were possible mechanical malfunctions” to the vehicle, the GBI statement reads.

The GBI news release notes that two deputies were trying to get her into the back of the patrol car after she was arrested and put in handcuffs.

Grier told the deputies she was going to hurt herself and was on the ground refusing to get into the patrol car, according to the release.

The GBI statement said the two deputies and Grier, who was on the ground, “were at the rear driver’s side door of the patrol car” when “one of the deputies walked around and opened the rear passenger side door.” The same deputy quickly returned to the rear driver’s side door, the GBI statement says, and both deputies put Grier into the back of the patrol car.

Deputies closed the rear driver’s side door and, according to the GBI statement, “The investigation shows that the deputy thought he closed the rear passenger side door.”

In the video, an officer can be seen picking Grier up and placing her in the car through the driver’s side rear door.

Off camera, one of the officers is heard asking if the door on the other side is closed, to which the other officer replies yes.

Deputies left the scene of the incident and drove a short distance before Grier fell out of the moving car, according to the statement.

CNN has reached out to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department for comment but did not immediately hear back.

“I just don’t understand why they couldn’t put her in a seat belt why they violated so many policies to prevent anything like this from happening,” Crump said.

“We loved her regardless, unconditionally. Now we got to raise these kids and tell them a story, and I’m not planning on telling no lie,” Marvin Greer told reporters Friday. “I want to tell the truth, so it won’t happen to anyone else.”

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