New lawsuits target deputies, medical staff in Stephen Fossett death
The lawsuits accuse jail deputies and medical personnel of excessive force, wrongful death and failures in mental health care.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Nearly two years after Stephen Fossett died while in custody at the Bibb County Jail, his family is renewing their call for justice and accountability. This week, the Fossett family filed two lawsuits—one federal, one state—targeting jail officials and medical staff for what they allege was a tragic failure to provide adequate mental health and medical care.
“Stephen was more than his mental health status,” his sister said during a news conference on Thursday. “He should have been treated like a human being with decency. Steven’s mental health status should not be a reason that he’s not here today, but we love him, and we’re going to keep his name alive.”
The lawsuits accuse deputies and medical personnel of excessive force, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. According to attorney Mawuli Davis, Fossett weighed just 129 pounds the day of the incident and endured 10 minutes of torture.
“This wasn’t just an individual officer,” Davis said. “This was a concerted effort. They acted in concert together, eight officers… We have sued them all, every one of them, for their role.”
Body camera footage reportedly shows deputies using stun guns and applying prolonged weight to Fossett as he lay on the cell floor. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ruled his death a homicide. Medical examiners say the cause of death involved toxic effects complicated by physical restraint and the use of conductive energy devices. Despite these findings, no criminal charges were filed against the deputies involved.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says Fossett became combative during a medical screening and was under the influence of synthetic marijuana.
“He came in as a paranoid bipolar schizophrenic who should have immediately gotten access to mental health care,” Davis said. “That’s all he needed. Instead, they put him in general population, and in general population he was again at absolute risk.”
Fossett’s family continues to demand justice, accountability, and systemic change to prevent future tragedies.
“His spirit and his energy, like she said, was just a match, because he was good,” Fossett’s mother said. “He was a person that glowed from inside. He was a handsome young man, inside and out.”
41NBC reached out to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, which said it is aware of the lawsuit and that the county attorney will be responding to it appropriately.
