ATLANTA — Several dozen people made their voices heard outside Georgia’s Capitol Thursday afternoon demanding accountability in the death of Brianna Grier.
The 28-year-old mother died on July 15 in the custody of law enforcement after her family called 911 about her mental health crisis.
The group of several dozen people rallied at the Capitol after Grier’s funeral demanding change in how law enforcement responds to mental health emergencies
It was a cry for justice and answers from family, lawyers, and advocates.
"Now we need accountability and transparency. That’s the bottom line,” Marvin Grier said.
Grier is Brianna Grier’s father and said the family just wanted to get her help when she had a mental health breakdown.
The young mother ended up in the back of a Hancock County Sheriff's deputy’s cruiser. The family said she was handcuffed and not wearing a seatbelt when she fell out of the moving deputy’s car. The agency reports the deputy believed the door was closed, but it was not.
Grier died after being in a coma for six days.
“She didn’t deserve to die. We only asked for help. That’s what we were seeking. We didn’t get the help we needed. We got a funeral,” Grier said.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump and his team are representing the Grier family. They believe law enforcement needs to do a better job when dealing with those who are having a mental health crisis.
“We’re here in front of the Capitol demanding Governor Kemp and the Georgia Legislature understand they have Brianna’s blood on their hands,” Ben Crump said. “You cannot say because they have mental health issues that should result in a death sentence."
Crump has called for a bill in the state legislature to require more mental health training for first responders.