A Clayton County inmate is suing the sheriff’s office over an incident caught on video where he appeared to be shoved into an elevator by a deputy.
Deputy Patrick Fluellen is accused of pushing Marlon Brown face-first into a jail elevator wall in June 2017, AJC.com previously reported. His attorney, Amber Bunch, told Channel 2 Action News on Wednesday that the sheriff’s office owes her client, who she said is mentally ill, about $1 million.
RELATED: Footage allegedly shows Clayton Co. deputy shove inmate into elevator wall
Brown’s sister, Ashley, told Channel 2 her brother didn’t his medication for six months prior to the incident, and he had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
“I want justice for my brother,” she said. “I want my brother to understand that, even with his mental state, he’s still a human being.”
Channel 2 obtained the surveillance video of the incident in May 2018, which was shortly after Sheriff Victor Hill placed Fluellen on administrative leave. Hill said he saw the video for the first time in early May. The GBI was also called in to investigate.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t answered requests for comment following the lawsuit’s announcement. It’s unclear whether Fluellen is still on administrative leave.
MORE: Clayton County deputy on leave; GBI investigating use of force in video
Shortly after the incident, two supervisors reviewed the video and determined the deputy broke no policies, Channel 2 reported.
Fluellen said the inmate refused to get into the elevator, so he pushed him inside. He said Brown then tripped, stumbling into the wall.
Bunch disputed Fluellen’s accounts previously, and she told Channel 2, “We unfortunately can’t get Victor Hill or his council to even come to the table ready to have a convesation about how we can avoid things like this from happening in the future.”
She also said Fluellen has had multiple excessive-force complaints.
After the incident, Brown was transferred to another facility for his safety, Channel 2 reported.
The GBI’s investigation is ongoing.
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