Two former Georgia deputies were cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges Friday in the death of a 22-year-old mentally ill Nigerian man who was restrained and stunned with a Taser, according to WSAV. The former deputies and one jail nurse still face prison sentences for lesser charges.
The decisions came nine months after Mathew Ajibade died in Chatham County jail, where he was placed in isolation and shocked with a Taser to the groin. Chatham County Sheriff's officials said they restrained Ajibade after he became combative during his arrest.
The family of Ajibade, who describe the incident as a bipolar episode, expressed frustration with the final verdicts handed down in Chatham County Superior Court.
"I knew that that same system that failed Mathew would not be the system that got him justice," Ajibade’s cousin Chris Oladapo said in a statement. "I had already warned my family not to expect anything. We expected nothing, and we got nothing."
Former deputy Jason Kenny was convicted with one count of cruelty to a prisoner, which carries a one- to three-year prison sentence. He was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and perjury charges, which could have amounted to a combined 40 years in prison.
Ex-Cpl. Maxine Evans was convicted with public records fraud and three counts of perjury for lying to a grand jury. She could face up to 40 years in prison.
Jail nurse Gregory Brown, who was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter earlier in the trial, was found guilty of perjury for lying to court about checking on Ajibade every 15 minutes while he was held in isolation.
The convictions come after an eight-day trial and two days of deliberations by the jury over the brutal death of Ajibade in January.
Ajibade, who was bipolar, was brought into the Chatham County Sheriff’s bookings office after he allegedly hit his girlfriend on New Year’s Day.
Video captured by the office shows that Ajibade became agitated and at one point thrashed around in the reception area. He was restrained on the ground, shocked with a Taser, hog-tied and carried away to a cell.
Officers then strapped Ajibade into a restraint chair in an isolation cell while they used a Taser on his groin, according to video obtained by NBC News that was also shown in court. He was then left unattended for an hour and a half.
He was found dead in the chair on Jan. 2. A coroner’s report later ruled his death a homicide.
The sheriff previously fired nine deputies, including Kenny and Evans, in connection to Ajibade's death.
The two deputies and nurse are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6.