‘Unwatchable’: Police Release ‘Horrific’ Body Cam Footage in Death of Jamal Sutherland in SC Jail
This week the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office released several hours of body cam footage from the January 5 death of Jamal Sutherland, a Black man with mental illness, at a South Carolina jail.
The mayor of Charleston John Tecklenburg called it “horrific” at a press conference on Friday announcing the Department of Justice is investigating, ABC News reported on Saturday.
In a statement released by the mayor’s office as well as a statement from Sheriff Kristin Graziano, officials are referring to the death of Sutherland as a “tragedy” and a “tragic death.”
MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross aired just a small portion of the many hours of footage released, saying on Saturday that the full video is “unwatchable.” Local news stations have likewise aired only very small portions.
Even so, Cross is right about it being virtually unwatchable, even in these small clips. We advise you this is very hard to listen to and watch, please use discretion and judgement in viewing.
#Breaking Body cam video of the death of Jamal Sutherland in custody as shown on the 11PM @Live5News Please understand this video is disturbing and only part of the hours we received. #chsnews @Live5News pic.twitter.com/aUY76IsPb4
— Thomas Gruel (@thomasdgruel) May 14, 2021
ABC News additionally quoted Tecklenburg from Friday’s presser seemingly questioning the rationale behind the use of such force.
“Jamal Sutherland deserved the mental health treatment that he sought,” said the mayor. “What rationale could there be for the treatment that Jamal received? My mind can’t find one.”
Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds added that “police are not the solution to every problem.”
Watch MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross above.
