Olain Jefferson Jr.
Olain Jefferson Jr., a 56-year-old Black man, died on May 14, 2020, after he had been taken to the Oklahoma County Jail. Officers restrained him in a wheelchair at the jail, and he became unresponsive; paramedics took him by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy listed pulmonary thromboemboli from a deep vein thrombosis in his right leg as the likely cause, and noted that his heart disease and PCP found in his urine may have contributed. His family's attorney, Gregory Denney, says the death followed excessive force, and the family has sued the county, the sheriff's office and the police department. The district attorney found no criminal wrongdoing by individuals in September 2020, and a police report described the force used as minor.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed). The medical examiner's autopsy found pulmonary thromboemboli from a deep vein thrombosis in his right leg, while his family's lawsuit alleges officers used excessive force during the struggle.
Reported by: autopsy report; Oklahoma City police (the agency that held him); family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Oklahoma County, the sheriff's office and the police department, alleging excessive force, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.