Disturbing Footage Shows a Terrified 19-year-old Autistic Teen Being Goaded, Stripped Naked, and Restrained by Nine Police Officers While He Begged Them to "listen to me" Before He Died
Disturbing footage shows a terrified autistic 19-year-old, Isaiah Trammell, desperately asking officers to listen to him before repeatedly slamming his head on a cell door, leading to his death.
Trammell was taunted, belittled, and threatened by nine guards as he begged for his medication at the Montgomery County Jail in Ohio. He was taken there after being arrested following a mental health episode in March 2023.
After fatally injuring himself, Trammell was taken to a hospital where he later died. Surveillance videos obtained by The Columbus Dispatch show officers telling Trammell he was "ridiculous," "embarrassing," and "acting like an a**."
He was strapped into a restraint chair twice and threatened with severe consequences if he did not calm down. In response, Trammell banged his head on the cell door, screaming, "Let me out." No one listened as he asked for his medications, a phone call, and a blanket, according to the Dispatch.
Trammell was rushed to the hospital, where he died three days later. The coroner ruled it a suicide.
Trammell had been taken to jail after neighbors called the police because he spent the night banging his head against a wall at home. He told officers that it was "the only way I know to get rid of the crazy in my head."
Officers discovered he was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor domestic violence warrant for allegedly being abusive to his sister and her husband.
Trammell's heartbroken mother, Brandy Abner, told The Columbus Patch that her son had a history of banging his head as a coping mechanism, often resulting in hospital visits. She was unaware of the outstanding warrant against him. "We always call when he begins to rage - it's a mental health call, not an 'arrest me' call," she said.
Trammell informed officers that he suffered from ADHD and did not want to live. He was put on suicide watch, meaning he was strip-searched and isolated in a safe cell. However, he wasn't given a mattress, blanket, or suicide-resistant gown. "He hated his body to be exposed and he kept telling them. He hated to be confined. Absolutely that would trigger him," his mother said.
Officers allegedly kept him in the restraint chair for more than an hour, which is against Ohio standards for restraints. They also continued to threaten to use the chair again, despite it being intended as a last resort after providing medication.
When one officer said they couldn't use the restraint chair, another cop replied, "Just put the chair in front of his fu***** cell so he stops. Give him a constant reminder."
The Montgomery County Jail Coalition has called on the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) to investigate Trammell's death. "Isaiah would be alive today had he been treated with dignity and respect in the jail by staff concerned for his health and well-being. Instead of listening to his cries for medication, he was laughed at and ignored. We need accountability for what happened to him," said Yvonne Currington, a retired nurse and Jail Coalition member.
The Sheriff's office told Dayton Daily News on Monday that ODRC's Bureau of Detention found no "deficiencies" in how the sheriff's office handled his death. "Medical and mental health providers at the jail provided treatment to Trammell from the time he was booked into jail until he was transported to a local hospital," said the sheriff’s office spokeswoman Christine Bevins.
"Although people facing charges for violent crimes shouldn’t be released to society to deal with, our community needs a medical facility with a lockdown unit that can better handle those who are in crisis."
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