The grief, television cameras and knowing her son died just steps away proved overwhelming on Monday for Fredrika Nabbie, who fainted and collapsed outside the Vista Detention Facility during a rally called to demand answers about what killed him early this year.
Nabbie’s son, Abdul Kamara, 29, died during an encounter with sheriff’s deputies more than nine months ago. She recovered after a few minutes and went on to urge officials to disclose details about what happened to her child.
She and other members of Kamara’s family requested that the Sheriff’s Office release body-worn camera footage, documents and other evidence related to the death last March.
“I’m asking for justice,” said Nabbie, who traveled from her home in Virginia to attend the protest organized by Saving Lives In Custody California, a nonprofit group that works to improve how law enforcement treats people in jail and in the community.
“I want to see the body camera (video) from the police on the day they arrested my son, the day they killed my son,” said Nabbie, a nurse who said she had spiraled into a deep depression since her son died.
She remains on prescription medication and was only recently able to return to work.
The Sheriff’s Office has declined to release the recordings, 911 tapes or any other information about the case, citing the ongoing investigation, Nabbie said.
The department said in a statement later Monday that it could not comment and referred questions to the District Attorney’s Office.
“A family liaison officer is assigned to his case and has reached out to the family to provide available updates as well,” Lt. David LaDieu said by email.
Hours after the protest ended, District Attorney Summer Stephan released a 10-page letter dated last week indicating that no criminal charges would be brought in the case.
“Based upon our review of the totality of the facts and circumstances, the law enforcement personnel involved in Kamara’s restraint did not apply unreasonable or excessive force that resulted in his death,” Stephen wrote.
“Therefore the deputies and officer bear no state criminal liability for their actions,” she added.
In foregoing any criminal charges, prosecutors cited a toxicology report prepared by the Medical Examiner’s Office that found methamphetamine in Kamara’s system. The death was classified as accidental.
Kamara, whose family fled Sierra Leone during a civil war when he was a boy, was described as a smart and thought son, with a cheerful disposition. He most recently had been a student at the Gemological Institute of America in nearby Carlsbad.
On the evening of March 2, Kamara was at a restaurant and asked an employee to summon an ambulance for an unknown reason.
Carlsbad police responded to the call and determined the case was strictly medical; paramedics transported Kamara to Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas. But Kamara left a short time later, according to the District Attorney’s Office summary of the case.
Hospital officials reported the patient missing.
Soon after, sheriff’s deputies located Kamara crawling around a gas station parking lot, wearing no shirt or shoes. Instead of returning him to the hospital, they arrested him and took him to jail at Kamara’s request, prosecutors said.
“Kamara stated he wanted to go and ‘do his time like a man,’” the District Attorney’s letter said.
While in the sallyport, the area of the jail where deputies transport arrestees to begin the booking process, Kamara became agitated, prosecutors said. He later calmed down but also showed signs of medical distress.
Deputies summoned paramedics, and Kamara was taken by ambulance to Tri-City Medical Center, where he died just after 4 a.m., the District Attorney’s Office letter said.
San Diego attorney Grace Jun, who represents Nabbie and the Kamara family, said she and her clients only received the 10-page finding from prosecutors late Monday.
Jun questioned why deputies did not immediately return Kamara to the hospital rather than arrest him.
“A doctor at Scripps Encinitas informed (deputies) that Abdul fled from the hospital and was unable to care for his own safety,” she said. “Despite this information, the deputies decided to take Abdul to the Vista jail,” she added.
The Kamara family lawyer also noted that prosecutors cited a trove of evidence in reaching their decision — surveillance video and other information that she and her clients have been seeking for months.
“Abdul Kamara’s parents demand the Sheriff’s Department immediately release all video and audio related to Abdul’s death as it is required to do under California law,” she said.
The Kamara family filed a legal claim against San Diego County last spring alleging wrongful arrest and death and seeking unspecified damages. County lawyers rejected the demand several weeks later and a lawyer for the family plans to file a civil lawsuit as soon as next month.
“During transport and upon arrival at VDF, there were multiple instances of use of force by deputies,” the claim states. “Deputies applied a WRAP restraint device on Mr. Kamara. Mr. Kamara died shortly thereafter while in the custody of San Diego County sheriff’s deputies.”
The Sheriff’s Office has a history of withholding information from family members of people who die in custody.
Interviews with and court records filed by relatives of people who died in jail show that documents, video and other evidence routinely have been withheld by county lawyers defending the families’ lawsuits.
San Diego County taxpayers have paid more than $75 million in legal settlements and jury awards related to accusations of deputy neglect and misconduct in recent years, records show.
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