Akeem Terrell had been behaving peculiarly at a party on New Year's Day in 2021, and did not cooperate with Phoenix, Arizona, police trying to arrest him after they ordered him to leave. He died in custody later that day.
Now surviving family members of Terrell's are suing Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, the county itself, the city of Phoenix, and various officers involved in causing Terrell's death. The suit was filed last week in federal court in Arizona, suing over various alleged constitutional rights violations, and seeking compensatory and punitive damages and court costs.