Family of woman who died after fall from patrol car demands answers

SPARTA, Ga. (WRDW) – The family of a Georgia woman who suffered fatal injuries while in the custody of deputies is demanding answers about her death.

The family of 28-year-old Brianna Marie Greer spoke Friday at a news conference about her death. Their attorney, Ben Crump, says law enforcement mishandled what was a mental health issue, not a criminal one.

Two Hancock County deputies were called to the family’s home in Sparta on July 15, where Greer was arrested, WRDW reports. The call came from Grier’s parents, who said she had been acting out of the ordinary. Her family says she has a history of mental illness.

Brianna Marie Greer, 28, suffered fatal injuries when she fell from a moving patrol car… — Brianna Marie Greer, 28, suffered fatal injuries when she fell from a moving patrol car after her arrest.(Source: Law Office of Ben Crump via CNN)

In the early stages of the investigation, it was determined that while deputies were taking Greer to the sheriff’s office, she fell out of the patrol car and suffered serious injuries.

Greer was pronounced dead from her injuries around 1 p.m. on July 21 at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Her body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for an autopsy.

The GBI’s Milledgeville Regional Office of Investigation was asked to investigate the incident. New details were released Wednesday after numerous interviews, reviews of body camera footage and mechanical tests of the patrol car. In addition, the GBI released the body camera footage involving this case on Friday.

Investigators concluded that the rear passenger door of the patrol car, near where Greer was sitting, was never closed.

After Greer was arrested, the two deputies tried to get her into the patrol car. Both deputies and Greer were by the rear driver’s side door of the patrol car. Greer was on the ground refusing to get into the patrol car and made a statement that he was going to harm himself.

To get Greer into the squad car, one of the deputies went around and opened the rear side door. The deputy then returned to the rear driver’s side door and the two deputies placed Greer in the back seat of the patrol car.

Investigators say Greer was handcuffed to the front of her body and was not wearing a seat belt.

Deputies closed the rear driver’s side door. The investigation indicates the deputy thought he had closed the rear passenger door.

Deputies left the scene and drove a short distance. Body camera footage revealed that deputies had no other contact with Greer from the time she was placed in the car until she was ejected from the moving car.

The GBI says the investigation remains active and still ongoing.