![Family of William Harvey gathers outside the Savannah Police Department [Screenshot:WSAV]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Family-of-William-Harvey-gathers-outside-the-Savannah-Police-Department-ScreenshotWSAV-scaled-e1623860049468.jpg "Family of William Harvey gathers outside the Savannah Police Department [Screenshot:WSAV]")
Five Georgia police officers have been fired after a man in police custody killed himself, authorities announced Monday.
William Harvey was found dead on April 3 while in police custody, the Savannah Police Department (SPD) said. Harvey, 60, had been taken into questioning by police for an aggravated assault investigation but was determined to have committed suicide. Police said officers “attempted life-saving measures” but were unsuccessful.
A subsequent investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations determined Harvey used his shoe laces to hang himself.
Two officers, Sgt. Michael Kerr and Cpl. Silver Leuschner were fired for department violations, the SPD said in a statement. Police did not disclose what exactly led to their firing but an attorney for Harvey’s family, Francys Johnson, said the officers did not turn on the video surveillance cameras when they left Harvey alone in the room, according to NBC News.
Three other officers, Sgt. Christopher Hewett, Cpl. Erica Tremblay and Officer David Curtis were fired for exchanging a series of text messages that mocked Harvey’s death, The New York Times (NYT) reported. (RELATED: Authorities Say Teacher Died By Apparent Suicide Days After Being Charged With Rape And Sodomy Of Student)
Attorneys for the William Harvey family have just finished speaking with City of Savannah officials after Harvey was found dead in a SPD interrogation room.
He says the incident violated Savannah police policies.
Findings from that in thread. pic.twitter.com/uwxa65318Y
— Danae Bucci (@DanaeBucci) June 14, 2021
One text allegedly sent by an officer showed a black man on a noose, according to WSAV.
All of the officers except for Curtis appealed their terminations, which were upheld, SPD said.
“I don’t think any of these officers had any malicious intent in what they did, but they made some poor decisions and didn’t follow department police and procedure,” SPD Chief Roy W. Minter Jr., said, noting Harvey’s death likely could have been avoided had officers followed protocol, according to the NYT.
“When you’re in the care custody of police, you should be able to enter an interrogation room and emerge alive,” Johnson said at a press conference, according to WSAV.