Los Angeles

LA Police Department Workers Not Liable for in-Custody Death

Wakiesha Wilson was found hanging in her cell after being arrested on suspicion of battery on March 27, 2016.

Prosecutors say Los Angeles city jail workers aren't criminally negligent in the death of a black woman who killed herself while in custody.

A district attorney's report was released Monday in the March 2016 death of Wakiesha Wilson that sparked Black Lives Matter protests.

Wilson was found hanging in her cell after being arrested on suspicion of battery a day earlier.

Wilson's mother has questioned the police account of her daughter's death and doesn't believe she took her own life.

Prosecutors say Wilson repeatedly denied being suicidal when questioned by jail officials. They say she told a cellmate she planned to harm herself, but the other inmate dismissed it as drama.

Prosecutors say Wilson had mental health issues, but there's insufficient evidence to prove any suicidal thoughts were conveyed to police personnel.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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