A Black man who was Tasered and left hospitalized after an arrest earlier this month has died, and his family is demanding justice and accountability.
John Daniel “LJ” Scott Jr., 39, died Tuesday from his injuries sustained in an April 15 arrest by the Decatur Police Department, his family’s lawyers said.
The family's attorneys said Scott "was in the midst of a mental health crisis" and should have received immediate medical care, but instead "endured excessive force during his arrest."
"His condition worsened after being transported to Morgan County Jail, where he was left untreated until it was too late,” the attorneys said. It's not clear what the official cause of his death was.
The family is now calling for a thorough investigation into the actions of the officers involved.
Decatur Interim Police Chief Nadis E. Carlisle Jr. said the Madison County Sheriff’s Office is officially leading the investigation into the circumstances of Scott’s death, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and FBI may be asked to provide additional support and resources.
The arrest
Decatur police responded to a 911 call on April 15 placed by Scott’s mother, "who requested assistance due to a mental health crisis involving her son," police said. The officer spent nearly an hour "engaging with Scott before clearing the scene without incident," police said.
Later that same day, at 8:15 p.m., officers were dispatched to a disturbance call at Brookridge Apartments and found Scott, "who was observed in the parking lot, sweating heavily and exhibiting erratic behavior."
Morgan County EMS was immediately requested. Officers were notified that Scott had an active warrant out of Morgan County, and officers encouraged him to voluntarily board the ambulance for a mental health evaluation and care, which he refused.
Body camera footage released April 18 shows that officers spent about 20 minutes trying to get Scott to enter the ambulance.
At the start of the footage, Scott was seen sweating excessively and wiping his face with his shirt. He was articulate and was seen shaking hands with officers, trying to make light conversation and jokes. Officers repeatedly encouraged him to enter the ambulance, or else they'd have to arrest him and take him to jail on the warrant.
Scott later appeared nervous, asking to take a moment and a few breaths. He is seen on the footage staying near the ambulance door, but he was hesitant to enter.
After about 20 minutes, the officers stated that they would arrest him and moved to do so, instructing him to turn around. Scott appeared to be mildly panicked and unable to turn around.
Decatur police said in a statement that Scott "became combative" when officers moved to arrest him.
As at least four officers moved in to arrest him, Scott is seen in the footage falling to the ground and starting to yell and howl. Officers struggled with Scott on the ground, trying to get him to turn onto his stomach and put his arms behind his back.
A Taser is heard being deployed several times as officers repeatedly order him to turn onto his stomach.
"I can’t breathe!" He’s heard yelling from the ground in the body camera footage. Officers are heard telling him to let go of their legs as they try to get him to comply.
Once he was cuffed, the officer ordered him to get up and into the car, but he was unable to and had to be pulled up off the ground by multiple officers.
“Due to his significant physical size and strength, officers were forced to employ measures in response to his resistance (including Taser deployments) with multiple unsuccessful attempts to gain control,” police said in a statement.
He was transported to Morgan County Jail and placed in a cell. Over an hour later, the jail staff "noticed Mr. Scott was exhibiting signs of medical distress," and an ambulance was called, police said. He was transported to Decatur Morgan Hospital and on to Huntsville Hospital for treatment.
Police said his arrest came after "a series of incidents likely linked to both medical and mental health struggles compounded by suspected drug-induced psychosis."
Attorneys for Scott's family said an autopsy has been performed and results are pending.
Meanwhile, attorneys for the family say the tragedy "follows a disturbing pattern of incidents within the Decatur Police Department" and is part of "broader systemic failures" in how law enforcement responds to those in mental crises.
It comes as the city of Decatur is reeling from a high-profile police excessive force case.
Steve Perkins, 39, was fatally shot outside his home on Sept. 29, 2023, by Decatur police as his truck was being repossessed. In that case, Mac Marquette is charged with murder in Perkins' death. His trial is set to start on June 9.
The shooting sparked protests and unrest in the northern Alabama city of 60,000 people.
