Brandon Bethea
Brandon Bethea, 24, died in March 2011 in his cell at the Harnett County jail in North Carolina. Jail officers used a stun gun on him several times, and according to a video released in 2016, he lay on the floor for about 20 minutes before staff summoned a nurse. The sheriff's office first gave an account of the force that the video appears to contradict. The state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by the stun gun, and no charges were filed. His aunt, Larnetta Corbin, said she watched her nephew take his last breath, and the family's lawsuit was settled by the county, with no officer facing discipline, according to reports.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by stun gun shocks from jail officers, while the Harnett County Sheriff's Office first said the shock followed an altercation, a claim video contradicts, and the family's lawsuit settled without discipline; the video also shows he lay motionless about 20 minutes before staff called a nurse, and his family's lawsuit says staff delayed help.
Reported by: state medical examiner; Harnett County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); video released to The News & Observer (reporters); family lawsuit.
Lawsuit: His family sued Harnett County over his death, but no settlement or award amount is reported in these sources.