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The family of 28-year-old Brianna Grier are still searching for answers about her untimely death. In mid-July, Brianna was arrested by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office after she suffered a schizophrenic episode. Her mother, Mary Grier called officials for help, but she didn’t know it would be the last time she would see her daughter.
Brianna died after she fell out of the sheriff’s cop car while it was in motion. Now, her parents are searching for answers.
“If I had known it was going to turn out like this, God knows I wouldn’t have called to come and get her,” Gier told 11 Alive. The Sheriff’s Department informed the Griers that Brianna “kicked her way out of the deputy’s cruiser.” She was rushed to Grady Hospital in Atlanta to receive treatment for serious head injuries, but the mother of two died days later.
“We’re looking for accountability and transparency. We don’t want this to happen to no one’s child,” Mr. Grier said during an interview on MSNBC.
According to an independent pathology report released by the family, Brianna died due to blunt force trauma to the head, which caused swelling to occur in the brain. She also suffered from a fractured skull. The report was released on August 8 by Dr. Alicia Wilson of the University of Michigan, the same medical expert who conducted the autopsy of George Floyd. Officials from the Hancock Sheriff’s office have not released the official autopsy results for Brianna as of yet.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also confirmed that Brianna jumped out of the vehicle while moving. According to the agency, Brianna was handcuffed during the time of the incident. Allegedly, one of the deputies forgot to properly close the rear passenger side door. The officers drove for a short distance before Brianna fell out of the vehicle, but the Griers say the story just doesn’t add up.
“If she got out the car, they had to let her out the car. That’s my interpretation because, in a police car, you can’t open the door from the inside, it had to be the outside,” Mrs. Grier said.
Activist Tamika Mallory and civil rights attorney Ben Crump are now helping the family to seek justice. The Griers will be holding a “home-going service” for Brianna on August 11, according to Mallory’s recent Instagram post.
