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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The investigation into the death of a Cuyahoga County jail inmate at MetroHealth will show law enforcement officers acted appropriately, the hospital’s attorney, Ian Friedman, said Monday during a press conference. “I have looked at this from all sides, and I am absolutely confident that there’s absolutely no criminal conduct involved here at all,” Friedman said. “The investigation so far shows that the officers in this case did everything that the community would expect from officers working at the highest levels.” Friedman, who is part of MetroHealth’s outside counsel team, spoke along with MetroHealth CEO Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager and other members of the hospital’s care team at the press conference about the ongoing investigation into Tasha Grant’s death, which has been ruled a homicide. Grant, 39, of Cleveland, was a double-amputee and jail inmate who died May 5 at MetroHealth after being restrained by officers, according to body-camera footage and county records. An autopsy found her chest and abdomen had been pressed against the side of the hospital bed and that officers placed pressure on her neck and back. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by “physical restraint in the setting of congestive heart failure,” noting the finding does not by itself indicate criminal wrongdoing. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department has referred the investigation to the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office. Private attorney Brian Kraft is serving as the special prosecutor on the case. Stanley Jackson, an attorney for Grant’s family, has called for an independent investigation. He has said that three of the officers restraining Grant were MetroHealth officers and one was a Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy. Friedman on Monday declined to provide the current employment status of the officers involved, but said all had certifications in de-escalation training. Friedman said he did not want to comment on the investigation’s timeline and emphasized that a criminal investigation does not automatically indicate criminal conduct. Grant was well-known to MetroHealth caregivers, and they have been deeply affected by her death, Alexander-Rager said. “To all who loved and cared for her, we offer our deepest condolences,” Alexander-Rager said. “Tasha was well known to the mental health family and meant so much to our community. When loss touches MetroHealth, it touches all of us, because our cases are people we know, families we share, and neighbors we serve.” MetroHealth will cooperate fully with the investigation, Alexander-Rager said. Citing patient privacy, she declined to answer specific questions about Grant’s care, including what condition led to her admission, how often her vital signs were checked and who found her dead. On May 2, Grant was taken to MetroHealth after an unspecified “emergency” tied to a pre-existing condition, officials said. Body-camera video released last month shows her becoming agitated on May 5 when staff tried to give her medication. She threw herself onto the floor and threatened staff before officers tried to lift her back onto the bed. Officers later handcuffed her to the bed. Body camera footage shows Grant saying “I can’t breathe” 23 times during the incident. Grant was one of three county jail inmates to die this year after what officials described as medical emergencies. The others were Jennifer Wade, 41, on Feb. 23, and Nathan Kinney, 27, on May 6.
