Darnell Benson
Darnell Benson, 40, was a father and a devout Muslim who worked several jobs, including as an Uber driver, and his brother said he was caring and had signed up to be an organ donor. Sources say San Francisco County Jail staff refused to admit him for medical reasons and sent him toward a hospital, and that deputies and an officer restrained him during booking. He was later found without a pulse in an ambulance and died on April 6, 2015. The San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death an accident, citing complications of methamphetamine and cocaine intoxication, but his family disputes that finding and says the police report and jail video have been withheld.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled the death an accident from methamphetamine and cocaine intoxication, while his family disputes that conclusion and says the police report and jail video have been withheld.
Reported by: San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); his family.