Attorney Ben Crump has been hired to represent the family of Glenn Foster Jr., a former New Orleans Saints player who died in police custody earlier this week in Alabama.
On Friday (Dec. 10), the renowned civil rights attorney released a statement slamming the Reform Police Department for using Foster’s size to justify why he died under their watch. “Glenn Foster Jr. was a beloved husband and the father of four children he was raising with his wife and high school sweetheart,” Crump said. “He was a successful businessman and philanthropist. Now, he’s dead, leaving behind a broken-hearted family that is demanding answers. The portrayal of him as a large man, a former NFL football player is a classic part of the playbook in explaining and justifying the death of a Black man by police. The fact is that he was subdued in handcuffs and posed no risk. There is no reason why he was alive in police custody and sixteen minutes later he was dead. We will not rest until we get answers and justice for Glenn Foster Jr. and his distraught family.”
Foster died days after he was taken into police custody on a speeding violation on Dec. 3. The former football star was traveling at speeds of 90 mph before officers chased him and used a spike strip to flatten his tires. Once his vehicle crashed, authorities arrested him and booked him into the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office’s jail for resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and attempting to elude police.
Once Foster’s family discovered that he was arrested, they notified Reform Police Chief Richard Black about his history with mental illness. Back in 2010, the former defensive end was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. On Sunday (Dec. 5), the chief worked with the family to get Foster bailed out of jail and sent to a hospital for further evaluation.
However, before the former Saints player could leave, he was rebooked for allegedly assaulting another inmate and stealing their socks. Foster remained behind bars until Monday (Dec. 6), when deputies transported him to a nearby hospital in a patrol car. He was pronounced dead once he arrived at the hospital.