'I can't breathe': Woman told police she was 'going to die' shortly before her in-custody death
The Knoxville Police Department has now released video footage of their interaction with a Tennessee woman who was arrested and later died in police custody.
Lisa Edwards, a 60-year-old woman, was previously found to have died of a stroke. No charges were filed against the arresting officers, Sergeant Brandon Wardlaw, Officer Adam Barnett, Officer Timothy Distasio, and Transportation Officer Danny Dugan.
But all four officers are still on administrative leave due to an ongoing internal investigation, according to Knoxville Police Department Spokesperson Scott Erland.
The Knoxville Police Department (KPD) and the District Attorney's office have both released the event timeline for the general public.
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Edwards was initially taken into police custody after refusing to leave Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, where she arrived the day before after having abdominal issues and being diagnosed with constipation. She was then discharged at 7 a.m. on Feb. 5.
Once she was discharged, Edwards, who uses a wheelchair refused to leave and hospital security was called. Hospital security then called KPD to have her officially evicted from the property.
Wardlaw was the responding officer who determined to take her into custody. However, Edwards complained that the KPD wagon was too high off the ground for her to get into.
In the video, Edwards can be heard complaining that she "can't breathe" and that she is "going to die." But police accuse her of faking it.
“It’s all an act,” one officer can be heard saying.
Edwards was then loaded into Distasio 's patrol car. En route to the detention center Distasio, responded to a call for a reckless driver. When he stopped, Distasio noticed that Edwards was unresponsive and an ambulance took Edwards right back to Fort Sanders.
Edwards was then placed on life support before she passed away.
Watch video below or at this link.
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