Relatives of man who died during admission to psychiatric hospital seek federal investigation

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Lawyers for the family of a Virginia man who died of asphyxiation after he was pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes while being admitted to a psychiatric hospital have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation. In a letter released Wednesday, prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Virginia attorney Mark Krudys argued that the state prosecutor’s office that brought second-degree murder chages against sheriff’s deputies and hospital workers does not have the staff or resources to adequately prosecute the case.