A county in South Carolina agreed on Tuesday to pay $10 million to the family of a Black man who died in January after sheriff’s deputies used pepper spray and Tasers on him in a jail cell as he told them, “I can’t breathe,” officials said.
In a unanimous vote, the Charleston County Council approved the settlement in the death of Jamal Sutherland, 31, who had been taken from a mental health facility to the county jail at the time.
His death on Jan. 5 has drawn protests and comparisons to the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
The settlement came as many Americans paused on Tuesday to remember Mr. Floyd one year after his death, which became a catalyst for a nationwide reckoning on police brutality and systemic racism.
It followed the firing on May 17 of the two deputies involved in Mr. Sutherland’s death, an encounter that was shown in graphic video footage that was released this month by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. One of the deputies placed a knee on Mr. Sutherland’s back.
