Family Demands Release of Body Cam Footage After Man's Death During Seizure After Cops Handcuff Him

Indiana family questions law enforcement's actions during medical emergency, seeks transparency

Rhyker Earl who died after being handcuffed by police during seizurePhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

DEMOTTE, Ind. — The family of Rhyker Earl is urging law enforcement to release body camera footage following his death after a medical emergency involving sheriff's deputies. The incident occurred in DeMotte, Indiana, about an hour south of Chicago, where Earl, a 26-year-old father with epilepsy, died two days after being restrained by Jasper County deputies while having a seizure.

On September 8, Earl’s grandmother called 911 as he suffered his second seizure that day. According to the family, instead of receiving medical aid, Earl was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by deputies responding to the call at their home in the Island Grove mobile home park. His grandmother, Sharon Krause-Earl, described the scene as devastating, recounting that Earl cried out, "I can't breathe," before being subdued.

“It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever been through,” Krause-Earl said. Earl was placed on life support and died two days later. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is now representing the family, has accused law enforcement of using excessive force during the incident and has joined the family in demanding the release of the body camera footage.

“To this day, I regret calling the ambulance,” Krause-Earl stated. “I don’t know if we would ever call an ambulance again because there was no justice for Rhyker.”

Crump also voiced his concerns: “When they say, ‘I can’t breathe,’ and end up dying in police custody, I vow that we are going to get the truth of what happened.”

Sheriff Pat Williamson of Jasper County has defended the deputies' actions, issuing a statement contradicting the family’s account. According to Williamson, the body camera footage shows Earl “forcefully banging his head on the floor” during the seizure. Deputies reportedly requested a pillow to prevent further self-harm, and Williamson stated that Earl’s breathing was not restricted.

The Sheriff did not address why Earl, who was experiencing a medical emergency, was placed in handcuffs, nor the family’s claim that Earl repeatedly said he could not breathe. He also has not explained why the body cam footage has not been shown to the family after more than two weeks have passed since the death.

Jasper County officials have said they plan to release the footage once cleared to do so. The cause of Earl’s death is still under investigation, with the Lake County coroner's office handling the case. They have not yet provided a cause of death.

The family continues to press for transparency, seeking accountability for the handling of Earl’s medical emergency and subsequent death.