In a complaint filed on Wednesday, the family of Glenn Foster Jr., the former player for the New Orleans Saints who was discovered dead in the back seat of a police SUV two years prior, claimed that he had been subjected to continuous abuse by sheriff’s deputies in rural Pickens County, Alabama, after being taken into custody during a traffic stop.
A federal court lawsuit in Birmingham claims the defendants “tased, struck, beat and choked Mr. Foster,” which resulted in his death.
“Defendants’ excessive and barbaric use of force violated Mr. Foster’s civil rights,” according to the complaint. “Their actions robbed the Foster family of a son, father and husband.”
Foster’s family is suing Pickens County, the county prison, the sheriff’s office, the former sheriff, and other officers, alleging that Foster’s civil rights were violated, there was a wrongful death, and excessive force was used.
Foster passed away from natural causes related to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to a state autopsy report that was made public last year.
According to the lawsuit, Foster was abused by police from the moment he was taken into custody on December 3, 2021, and this abuse persisted until his death three days later.
After an injury ended his NFL career, Foster went on to become a prosperous businessman. He was arrested for allegedly speeding and attempting to elude law enforcement. When they tried to pull Foster over, authorities in Reform, a small community in Pickens County to the west of Tuscaloosa, claimed they saw him driving a black 2020 Jeep Wrangler at 92 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Foster led the police on an eight-mile pursuit, which came to an end when they set up spike strips to trap him. Foster, 31, was accused by police of resisting arrest and reckless endangerment.
According to the lawsuit, a Pickens County sheriff’s officer immediately after Foster’s arrest wrestled him to the ground and slammed his head on the concrete. The lawsuit claims that after emergency medical workers arrived on the scene, they suggested that Foster be given physical and mental health examinations, but the recommendation was disregarded.
Foster’s family reportedly expressed worries about his mental health to the Reform police chief after he was taken into custody at Pickens County Jail just after midnight on December 4, according to the lawsuit. Foster’s family claimed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder years prior, and the chief and family agreed that he should be sent to a hospital for a mental health assessment.
According to the lawsuit, jail officials requested that EMS staff give Foster “a vitality check” later that evening. They requested that Foster be sent right away to a hospital for medical attention when they got to the jail, according to the lawsuit, but the suggestion was turned down.
Foster’s family arrived in Pickens County the following day and posted bail. However, they soon found out that Foster would not be freed due to fresh accusations resulting from an alleged altercation with another prisoner that left a jailer with minor injuries.
The lawsuit claims that after that, officers tormented Foster for more than twenty-four hours. According to the lawsuit, they repeatedly tased him while he was naked, handcuffed him to a chair, and then choked him.
Foster seemed unconscious the day after he was supposed to be driven to a hospital for a mental health evaluation mandated by the court, according to the lawsuit. The cops allegedly shoved him into the back seat of the police car that was supposed to drive him to the hospital while his legs hung outside, using what the lawsuit refers to as a “chokehold maneuver.”
According to the lawsuit, authorities discovered Foster slumped over, his skin darkened, and foaming out of his lips and nostrils after the roughly 30-minute drive to a hospital in Northport, Tuscaloosa County. He was pronounced dead at the spot by hospital staff.
The family claimed that the accusations were the result of an investigation by, but the complaint provides no concrete proof supporting them.their attorneys, among them renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Crump stated, “We know there’s video,” while standing on the steps of the federal courtroom in Birmingham with Foster’s family standing beside him. My sole query is, “Whatever became of the video?”
With reference to the lawsuit, Pickens County Sheriff Jordan Powell, who took over the position earlier this year and isn’t mentioned in the complaint, said, “We don’t know anything about it.”
On the second anniversary of Foster’s passing, a lawsuit was filed, requesting damages and a jury trial. His family contests the state autopsy’s findings and maintains that he was a young guy in excellent physical condition. Alabama police have not provided many details regarding the events surrounding his death.
Pamela Foster, his widow, said, “We are not getting much, if anything, from them.”
Glenn’s mother, Sabrina Foster, continued, saying, “He was my first kid and only son. Seeing someone else’s life wrongfully taken away makes you reflect on your own. It causes you to doubt God. It leads one to doubt human decency and human honesty.”
The Fosters also brought attention to what they saw as a disturbing pattern of police violence in Pickens County, which has 20,000 residents. Since 2019, three Black individuals have either been slain by police or passed away while in the custody of law enforcement.
A Reform police officer was just put on administrative leave this week after a video surfaced of her using a stun gun on a Black guy who was shackled. The event is being investigated by state investigators.
Pamela Foster remarked, “There is history here.” “Glenn wasn’t the first, second, or third person they had killed, covered up, and managed to get away with. Our goal is to prevent what happened to Glenn from happening again.”
Foster’s death was first investigated by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, which later gave the Tuscaloosa County district attorney’s office access to its findings. According to a local news report, a grand jury heard testimony but did not indict anyone on criminal charges. Messages seeking comment were not answered by the DA’s office.
“Every organization that contributed to Glenn’s demise ought to be investigated,” Sabrina Foster stated to ESPN. “His family is intelligent. He is represented by counsel. This is not something you will get away with.”
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