Wednesday, August 1, 2001
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Wednesday, August 1, 2001 |
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County disputes claims of dead inmate's parents By JOHN
MUNFORD
Officials have denied any wrongdoing in the death of an inmate at the Fayette County jail last year which has become the focus of a wrongful death lawsuit. In court papers filed last week, the county is also asking for the case to be dismissed. The parents of James Edward Eppinger filed the federal lawsuit against Fayette County, Sheriff Randall Johnson and several jail personnel. The suit claims Eppinger was not subdued properly when a scuffle between him and jailers took place as he was being transferred to another cell August 25, 2000. The suit claims Deputy David Martin used a choke hold on Eppinger that ultimately killed him. Those claims, and many other allegations contained in the suit, were denied by the county in the answer to the suit, which was filed recently in Federal Court in Newnan. The answer stated that none of Eppinger's injuries were caused by any custom or policy of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. The answer also denied: That excessive force was used to subdue Eppinger; That Dep. Martin used a choke hold to subdue Eppinger; That jailers "made no reasonable effort" to resuscitate Eppinger minutes before EMTs arrived at the jail; That jail personnel knew of Eppinger's medical condition, including hallucinations, tremors, anxiety and shaking. The lawsuit also claims the coroner's report ruled the death a homicide. A Fayette County Grand Jury was presented evidence in the case several months ago, but it declined to issue any criminal indictments. Eppinger began serving a 14-day sentence for operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license several days before the incident occurred, according to the suit.s
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