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William Harvey, 60, was at the station for questioning about aggravated assault.
June 15, 2021, 7:32 PM
• 4 minutes to read
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The department reported that five Georgia officers were fired after a 60-year-old man died by suicide while alone in a police interview room.
The Savannah Police Department said William Harvey was taken to Savannah Police Headquarters on April 3 for questioning in an aggravated assault investigation.
Officers left the interview room and returned to find Harvey unconscious, with injuries to his neck from his shoelaces, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, whose agents were brought in to investigate. The GBI considered Harvey’s death a suicide.
A Savannah Police spokeswoman said there was no video footage while Harvey was alone in the room.
Police said all officers associated with the incident have been placed on administrative leave, and the Savannah Police Professional Standards Unit has launched an investigation with the four officers involved.
Police announced Monday that at the end of the investigation conducted by the police department, a corporal and a sergeant in the station were dismissed.
The department said that in late April, the Occupational Standards Unit opened a second investigation after an officer sent a group chat message to other officers indicating that a death in custody had been investigated. Police said the message was “attached to a meme/gif,” although they did not elaborate on the content of the message.
Police said that investigation ended with three more expulsions of a sergeant, corporal and an officer.
Four of the five officers resumed shooting in front of the police chief and the city manager; Police said all of the terminations were upheld.
“I am appalled that Mr. William Harvey died while in the care, guard and control of the Savannah Police Department,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said in a statement to ABC News Tuesday.
“While we cannot provide justice to the Harvey family, we can ensure accountability for the policies we did not follow and the actions we did not take,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there was malicious intent on the part of the officers involved, but the result was fatal. And for that, I think the decision to terminate was appropriate.”
Johnson Police Chief and Savannah Roy Minter said they have met twice with the Harvey family.
“I hope and pray for them [the family] Minter told reporters on Tuesday, “You find some kind of comfort knowing that the Savannah Police Department has done what we need to do to hold members of our organization accountable. I don’t think any of these officers had any malicious intent in what they did, they made some bad decisions and didn’t follow policy and procedures.” Section “.
The Harvey family’s attorney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support. Call 1-800-273-8255 for assistance.
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