In a separate civil lawsuit Ajibade’s family alleges that the incident started on New Year’s Day when the student was having a manic episode caused by his bipolar disorder, and his girlfriend called police for help. But the judge acquitted Brown on that charge Wednesday after an investigator testified he gave incorrect information about Brown’s duties to the grand jury that indicted him.
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Will Claiborne, an attorney for Ajibade’s family, accused prosecutors of focusing on rank-and-file jailers rather than the sheriff and senior staff. Evans, who was convicted of falsifying public records, could spend between two and 10 years in prison.
“I knew that that same system that failed Mathew would not be the system that got him justice”, Chris Oladapo, a cousin of Ajibade, said in a statement provided by the family’s attorneys.
Brown was found guilty of making a false statement, said O’Mara, who represented neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman during his 2013 trial in the death of a 17-year old Trayvon Martin in Florida. I had already warned my familu not to expect anything.
A Chatham County Superior Court jury did convict the former deputies of lesser charges: Jason Kenny was found guilty of cruelty to an inmate, while Maxine Evans was found guilty of public records fraud and three counts of perjury for lying in her grand jury testimony. Though Ajibade was bloodied by punches and was kicked in the head, no deputies who took part in the fight were charged with crimes. “We accept it and we’re going to try to get Jason on with his life”, he said. The situation escalates after Ajibade wrests control of a stun gun being used by a female deputy.
The convictions come after an eight-day trial and two days of deliberations by the jury over the brutal death of Ajibade in January. Kenny was also found not guilty of aggravated assault or perjury, however the jury found him guilty of cruelty to an inmate.
Nine deputies were fired following the death of Ajibade.
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The video shows him combative as he thrashes on the ground violently. Gregory Brown, an attending nurse, was acquitted earlier this week of manslaughter charges because of errors made during the investigation and prosecution of the case. “The people they prosecuted, as far as my client, she never did anything to that man”, said Bobby Phillips, Evans’ attorney.
