MACON, Ga. — Only three months after his death, the family of Stephen Fossett stood outside the Bibb County Jail calling for answers in Fossett’s death.
“Stephen was extremely quiet,” Fossett’s mother Paula Platt said as she fought back tears. “He was a praying man, he prayed a lot.”
But alongside his faith, Fossett had his own demons.
Platt said Fossett has been battling schizophrenia for over 20 years. But despite his troubles, she said her son did not deserve to die behind bars.
“Even when he was out and having his crisis, he would always say ‘Mama I’m okay because I prayed,’” Platt said. “He would always come in and the first thing he would do, he would open the door and say ‘y’all okay and I love you.’ I miss him so much.”
The press conference, which included Fossett’s family and their lawyers, was focused on bringing new attention to Fossett’s case – and the family’s search for answers after his death.
“This family deserves transparency. They deserve it now,” said Mawuli Davis, one of the attorneys representing Fossett’s family. “It’s been now over 90 days since his death. For us, there is no reason that the family does not have the answers they need. They haven’t been able to fully grieve.”
Fossett, 42, died on May 25 after suffering a medical emergency in the county jail. While being treated by medical staff, the sheriff’s office says Fossett became combative, prompting a deputy to fire their Taser to help control the situation.
However, Fossett was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
In the sheriff’s office response, they say the Taser “had no effect” on Fossett. In their press release, the family says it doesn't make sense to them.
“This isn’t about money,” Davis said. “They are here because they haven’t gotten answers. And if there is a criminal case, that is this family’s first priority.”
Davis claims that Fossett was Tased three times, including once while he was apparently in handcuffs already. To him, that raises questions about whether their use of force was justified and contributed to Fossett’s death.
“We’re doing all we can. We just ask for transparency. Any and all documents, any and all footage, it should be provided,” said Nathan Fitzpatrick, who is also representing Fossett's family. “But today, we haven’t received any information as to why the documents are not being made available.”
But Fossett’s death also underscores the impact of mental health behind bars.
“Our position has been very clear through our advocacy: when you call the police to do a job you need a mental health crisis expert for, you are calling in real trouble,” Davis said. “You have to have properly trained, properly equipped mental health experts who can assist in jail settings and in street settings.”
And with the number of people incarcerated who suffer from mental health, Davis says that it should alarm us when jails are essentially “the largest mental health hospitals” in areas like Atlanta.
“Shame on us as a society, as Georgians, as Americans that we would continue to house those who need mental health support in jails where you house people who are really charged with crimes,” Davis said.
Fossett was arrested for criminal trespassing, Davis said. That’s a charge that many people struggling with homelessness and mental health end up behind bars for.
“There’s so much stigma about mental health people, but they are some of the strongest people I know,” Platt said. “When you can battle your mind 24 hours a day, and still get up the next day to fight, that’s an amazing person – and that’s who he was.”
But Davis says that it goes beyond people who are struggling with mental health.
“Anyone could end up in the county jail. You could just have forgotten to pay a ticket,” Davis said “It should not be a death sentence – criminal trespassing is not a death sentence. That’s why it’s bigger than this family; they are here to make sure this doesn’t happen to any other families”
According to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones, they don’t know what led to Fossett’s death on that day in May. Davis says the toxicology report has not come back, which has held up documents that they have requested.
The lawyers ask for an external investigation by the Macon District Attorney's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
But still, the family is still trying to understand what led to Fossett’s death.
“They are wandering, they are looking – they have been looking for an answer that they have not been provided,” Davis said.