Dennoriss Richardson, a Black man in Alabama who recently filed a lawsuit against police for brutality, is now dead. On Sept. 28, his body was found in an abandoned house near the Mississippi line in Colbert County, Alabama. Civil rights attorney Roderick Van Daniel said Richardson was hanging by a rope. While Richardson’s loved ones are now fighting for justice, Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine said his death was ruled as a suicide.
“We received a call of a suspicious vehicle at a residence on Highway 72, on the west side of Colbert County,” Balentine said, per AL.com. “When our deputies go down to investigate the suspicious vehicle, they located Mr. Richardson. He was hanging from a beam on the carport.”
Richardson’s wife, Leigh Ann Richardson, refutes the sheriff’s statement.
“I need answers,” she said, per AL.com. “This was made to look like a suicide. It’s not a suicide.”
According to Leigh, police in Sheffield, Alabama repeatedly arrested and harassed her husband after he filed his lawsuit on Feb. 26 against several officers and Police Lt. Max Dotson, saying deputies abused him while he was in jail from Nov. 30 until Dec. 1, 2022. Leigh said officers vowed to drop the charges against Richardson if he dropped the federal lawsuit.
“It was a bribe to make him drop the lawsuit and he never would,” she said.
Sheffield Mayor Steve Stanley said he knew Richardson personally and he’s “sorry to hear of his death.”
“I’ve had a couple of meetings with Dennoriss in the past and they’ve always been civil and congenial,” Stanley said, per AL.com. “I certainly didn’t harbor any ill will against him.”
Richardson, who was arrested on drug charges, named several Sheffield police officers, along with Dotson, in his lawsuit. He said Dotson and the other officers kept him in a restraint chair while he was jailed and told him “Nobody can help you.” The lawsuit adds that police tased the 39-year-old in his cell and sprayed him with mace. According to the complaint, Richardson faced a second-degree assault charge against Dotson.
Richardson, who was back in jail earlier this year, also pointed to an alleged incident on Jan. 9. He said he wanted to call 911 for medical assistance at that time, but officers took the phone from him and threw him down. Per the lawsuit, police then charged Richardson for making a false emergency report.
Balentine said Richardson was allowed to get out of jail and travel out of state to be with a relative after he was incarcerated on a drug charge.
“Right after the release, he told his probation officer that he was not going to comply with the restrictions of the release, so a warrant was issued for his arrest,” the sheriff said.
According to Leigh, Richardson chose his uncle in the state of Washington as his guardian for probation. However, to have his uncle as his guardian, Richardson would have to move to Washington because he was required to be close to him, Leigh said. According to Leigh, Richardson didn’t want to move away from his children, so he chose to turn himself in and serve his time. She adds that Richardson last spoke to her on Sept. 26.
Leigh said Sheffield police identified Richardson as a white male in the missing person report, although they knew he was Black.
Investigators say Richardson showed signs of depression, but his family disagrees.
“My son was joyful,” Richardson’s mother, Bonita Richardson, told AL.com. “He didn’t have any mental issues. He would never kill himself. He would not hurt himself.”
The family also has suspicions about the place Richardson was found. According to Bonita, her son’s body was found about 15 miles from the Mississippi line.
“He would not have drove himself way out there, almost to Mississippi,” she said. “He was scared of places like that.”
Van Daniel announced that the FBI would be investigating the case.
“This is a family issue, community issue for Colbert County, State of Alabama, and the United States of America,” he said, as AL.com reported. “I am grateful to know that a federal investigation will be done. We all are seeking the truth, understanding, and justice.”
