Amazing not once is it clearly indicated where this case originated. Closest clue “Frederick County”. It’s Frederick, MD.
So, MD ping.
‘In spite of Saylor’s death being ruled a homicide, an internal “investigation” cleared the three officers of any wrongdoing’
Whoa, whoa, writer. “Homicide” does NOT mean “murder”. It means the victim was killed due to another person. Could be murder, could be self-defense, could be accident. Otherwise, a few other general categories for death means are “suicide” and “accident”.
This is indeed tragic. I hate to say the manner in which they restrained him on the ground may have itself caused the injury. Basically they did not mean to kill him; it was incidental to their actions, and could’ve happened - or not - to anyone else. Any physical confrontation can result in something unexpected (also happened in Anne Arundel County around same time with some “student” at special-ed school delinquents - when the approved restraint of sitting on him caused his death). The question is if they were really justified in manhandling him in the time they did.
Why should that even have to be a hypothetical? The answer is no, they didn't have to do that at all.