Brian Alexander
Brian Alexander, 49, was held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. His lawyer, Anna Friedberg, described him as a good person who suffered from mental illness. On Tuesday, September 4, 2018, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said another man struck him once in a common area of a housing unit, knocking him unconscious; he was taken to a hospital, put on life support, and declared brain dead, and he died on September 6, 2018. Authorities said they had obtained an arrest warrant for the other man and that he would be charged with manslaughter. His lawyer has questioned whether the death could have been prevented and whether the jail was protecting vulnerable people held there.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Authorities say another inmate struck him once during an altercation in a housing unit common area, and his lawyer, Anna Friedberg, questions whether the death could have been prevented and whether the jail protects vulnerable inmates.
Reported by: Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his lawyer, Anna Friedberg (family or their lawyers).