Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington, 39, was held at Orleans Parish Prison in New Orleans when he died in April 2006. His attorney said he died about 24 hours after a scuffle with two deputies. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office ruled the death accidental and attributed it to excited delirium. His widow, Cheryl, and her brother, Nathaniel Holden, spoke for the family at a wrongful death trial that began in April 2014 against Sheriff Marlin Gusman and two deputies, where the family contends that mistreatment at the jail caused his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office ruled the death accidental and attributed it to excited delirium after a scuffle with two deputies, while his family's lawsuit contends that mistreatment at the jail caused his death.
Reported by: Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Sheriff Marlin Gusman and two deputies over his death, and the wrongful death trial began in April 2014.