DAYTON — Attorneys for the family of the 25-year-old inmate who died while in custody of the Montgomery County Jail say they’re conducting an independent investigation into his death.
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As News Center 7 previously reported, Christian Black, 25, of Zanesville, died at a hospital on Wednesday, March 26.
He had been booked into the Montgomery County Jail earlier this week after being arrested by Englewood Police. They said he crashed a car that had been reported stolen from Beavercreek and then jumped a fence and swam across a pond in an attempt to escape.
A Beavercreek police report indicated a 44-year-old woman had her car taken in a violent incident in the business parking lot across from The Greene. They were exploring robbery and attempted abduction charges.
That brought Black to the jail at 6 a.m. on Sunday.
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While in custody on Monday, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said correctional staff found Black face down in his cell. The staff asked him questions, but he wouldn’t respond. They then called the jail’s medical staff.
When the cell door opened, he allegedly tried to fight correction officers in an attempt to escape his cell. Staff used force, including a taser, to subdue him.
Later they said he repeatedly banged his head against his cell door and again tried to fight staff, prompting them to tase and use pepper spray on him before putting him in a restraint chair.
An ambulance was called for his head injury, but Black then went into cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Black’s family strongly disagrees with that version of events and hired a Dayton law firm to represent them.
Michael Wright and Robert Gresham, attorneys for Black’s family, released the following statement about his death on Friday:
“The family of Christian Black has hired Wright & Schulte to help them get answers to many important questions surrounding his in-custody death.
We are conducting our own independent investigation into how Mr. Black died and who may ultimately be responsible.
Mr. Black’s family is deeply concerned given the well-documented issues that have plagued the Montgomery County Jail previously.
We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to find out what led to Christian Black’s death."
The sheriff’s office has asked Dayton Police to investigate Black’s death since it happened after correction officers used force to control him after he was booked.
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