ATLANTA — The family of JauMarcus McFarland announced they have hired attorneys and are planning an independent investigation into the elevator accident that claimed their child's life.
McFarland moved from Missouri recently to play football at Champion Prep Academy in metro Atlanta. He was living in a building on Highland Avenue NE with his teammates where the incident happened Tuesday.
Throughout the week, details of what led up to the elevator accident have slowly been released. On Friday, Atlanta Police released body camera video that showed the moments leading up to McFarland being pinned and the attempt to rescue him afterward.
After he was taken to the hospital, the officer wearing the body camera went to the management office for the building and watched surveillance video of the elevator. His body camera recorded the surveillance video being played. It shows the elevator moving down, its doors are open, and a crowd of people on board.
As a few people escape, McFarland tries to get off, but became pinned between the top of the elevator and the floor.
"How many people is in there?" one person can be heard saying while watching the surveillance video.
A report from Atlanta Fire listed 16 people, plus McFarland, as being on the elevator.
"It was leaving the floor while they were open," another person can be heard saying while watching video.
Atlanta Fire also previously reported the incident as an elevator collapse.
The property manager for the building at 444 Highland Ave NE wrote 11Alive by -mail that the elevator has a weight limit of 3,000 pounds, but the passengers exceeded the limit by nearly 1,000 pounds. State records show the yearly inspection permit for the elevator expired in August of 2020.
When officers arrived, McFarland's teammates can be seen in the video huddled around the elevator and hallway, encouraging him to hold on, as firefighters worked to rescue him.
"You good Mac," one person can be heard saying several times.
The officer wearing the body camera eventually directs the players and others to leave the floor as more firefighters with equipment arrive.
"If you want to help you have to go back," the officer said.
The entire process to free McFarland takes over an hour according to the video. Meanwhile, the officer is heard gathering information on what led to McFarland becoming trapped.
"His friend said that it was higher and he jumped to crawl out and it started moving slowly," another officer told him.
"He was trying to explain how they must of been holding both doors and he jumped. Something was not like it was normally running," a woman told the officer.
Once on a stretcher, firefighters found McFarland wasn't alert but had a weak pulse. He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center, which is next door to where the incident happened. He died a short time later at the hospital.
At the end of the body camera video, which is nearly two hours long, the officer sounds shaken and takes a seat.
"Wasn't expecting that," he tells another officer.
The incident is under investigation by the state Insurance Commissioner's office. Investigators were at the building on Wednesday gathering information and evidence. Currently, there is no timeline for when their investigation while be completed.