A grand jury in Georgia is set to review an investigation involving six ex-deputies in the coming weeks. Probe initiated after several former officers were allegedly involved in a fatal incident with 38-year-old Terry Lee Thurmond in 2022.
On Nov. 27 of that year, authorities arrested Thurmond on suspicion of criminal trespassing at an airport. The following day, while held in the Clayton County jail south of Atlanta, surveillance footage showed Thurmond attempting to throw himself over the edge of a second-floor walkway.
In the video, two other inmates attempted to stop the 38-year-old from falling. At the time, several sheriff’s deputies joined the detainees in holding onto Thurmond. However, per the county medical examiner’s office’s timeline document, Thurmond continued to be “combative.”
The video showed a deputy using what appeared to be a Taser on Thurmond. Officers reportedly struggled with him for minutes before they gained the upper hand.
According to Thomas Reynolds, who represents Thurmond’s family, the 38-year-old was left unconscious for over 15 minutes before being transported to a hospital by first responders. Doctors pronounced Thurmond dead at the hospital.
