June 2, 23

NEWS / Death of arrested WV man ruled homicide in death certificate

The cause of death of 34-year-old Michael Scott Jr., a West Virginia man whose head had allegedly been slammed into the pavement by a police officer and who had been arrested but refused medical treatment, was ruled a homicide according to his death certificate. Scott’s arrest and subsequent death occurred in Dunbar, a suburb of state capital (and largest city) Charleston. 13 News reports that according to a civil complaint filed in September 2022 by the family of the deceased, officers Zachary Winters and Adam Mason were attempting to arrest Scott on July 22, 2022, for an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor trespassing. During the arrest, officer Winters allegedly lifted Scott off the ground and smashed his head into the pavement. “This is the most shocking display of indifference and inhumane treatment from the police that I’ve seen in the history of that state of West Virginia,” Attorney Jesse Forbes, who is representing Scott’s family, was quoted by 13 News as saying. “This is not a situation where he ran from anybody.” Forbes went on to say that the officer, in his own words, “suplexed,” Scott, a term often used in WWE wrestling to refer to slamming somebody against the ground. The complaint went on to say that Scott was refused medical treatment, was taken to South Central Regional Jail, where staffers refused to take him in because of his deteriorating medical condition. Scott was then taken to Charleston Area Medical Center, where he died 2 days later. No criminal charges have been filed against the two officers. Officer Winters was placed on administrative leave in September 2022, but was later reinstated pending the outcome of the investigation. The Kanawha County Sheriff Office reports that it has completed its investigation and that the case has now been turned over to the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office.