San Diego County's Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board sustained a finding that a San Diego sheriff's deputy violated procedure when he placed a shirt over Earl McNeil's head while detaining him.
The review board's investigators said that placing a shirt over McNeil's face might have contributed to his death. Investigators found this violated the sheriff's use of force guidelines, which says a person's mouth and nose shall never be obstructed. The review board on Tuesday voted to agree with the investigator's findings.
RELATED: What Happened To Earl McNeil?
McNeil's family is suing the officers involved in McNeil's death. Their attorney Doug Applegate says these citizen reviews of in-custody deaths are key.
"If you want transformational change in how law enforcement policies your communities you have to show up when there's a question of whether or not police officers, sheriff's deputies acted appropriately," Applegate said.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen previously cleared all officers and deputies from criminal liability.
In a statement to KPBS, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said it does not see enough evidence to support the finding that McNeil's shirt was used in a way that affected his breathing.
