DEMOTTE, IN – Rhyker Earl, a 26-year-old Indiana father of two, died after being handcuffed and held down by the police following a family-ordered 911 call for a seizure he suffered. A funeral will be held in his honor on Wednesday.
The event took place on the evening of Sunday, September 8, in Demotte, Indiana, about a one-hour and 15-minute drive south and east of Chicago. Following a seizure suffered by Earl, his grandmother dialed 911 for assistance, leading the Jasper County, Indiana, Sheriff’s officers to arrive at their residence.
As Earl was still regaining his bearings from the seizure, he lost balance and toppled into a police officer. This led to an assertive response from the police, who handcuffed Earl and held him face down on the ground. While being pinned down by several officers, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) administered sedatives to Earl.
According to Miracle Gawlinski, Earl’s aunt, Earl pleaded to the officers claiming he was unable to breathe. Despite his desperate pleas for help, officers continued to hold him down with the face in a pillow for about 15 minutes. Gawlinski claimed she saw Earl turning blue and realized he wasn’t breathing when an EMT checked his pulse.
Despite officers’ attempts to resuscitate Earl, they proved unsuccessful. Earl was removed from life support on Tuesday, September 10. His death has sparked a probe into the handling of his medical emergency.