Anthony Hulon's sisters join protestors in demanding officers be fired, charged with crimes in asphyxiation death
Sarah LehrLANSING — Anthony Hulon's sisters and their supporters protested outside the Lansing Police Department on Friday, demanding that the officers involved in restraining Hulon be fired and charged with crimes.
Antony Hulon, 54, died April 11 after being restrained by Lansing police in the city jail, which is in the basement of the Police Department adjacent to City Hall.
Nearly 30 masked demonstrators assembled outside the police department Friday afternoon before driving their cars in a caravan around downtown Lansing.
Related: Lansing police violated internal policies after man died in their custody
Sister calls death 'cold-blooded murder'
Tabetha Hulon called her brother's death "a cold-blooded murder." She held up a photo on her phone of her brother's bruised body after his death and cried when describing how distressing it was for her 81-year-old parents to see their son in that condition.
An Ingham County medical examiner determined Hulon's death was a homicide by positional asphyxia, according to an autopsy report.
That autopsy report became public when Anthony's other sister, Heather Hulon, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in October. Mayor Andy Schor and Police Chief Daryl Green later said they were not aware of the homicide ruling until it was reported in the media in connection with the lawsuit.
Related: No records to document police chief's inquiry in jail death, city attorney says
In jail cell video released by attorneys for Hulon's estate, Anthony Hulon, who had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, can be seen growling, screaming and struggling against the officers who are attempting to restrain him. He says "I'm passing out" and repeats "I can't breathe."
"He begged them," Heather Hulon said, tearing up.
Tabetha Hulon, who lives in Texas, and Heather Hulon, who lives in Arizona, flew to Lansing to be part of the protest. The sisters have described a traumatic process as they try to get information about their brother's death.
More: City of Lansing resists LSJ attempts to obtain emails about April jail death
'The mayor has never once reached out to our family'
"The mayor has never once reached out to our family," Tabetha Hulon said at the protest.
Lansing spokeswoman Valerie Marchand said Friday the mayor "can not" reach out to Hulon's family because of the lawsuit and an ongoing investigation.
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Hulon's family filed the lawsuit six months after an LPD news release announced the death of a man who had been booked into the jail after being treated at a local hospital for "medical complications unrelated to his arrest." The release did not name Hulon as the inmate nor did it mention that police had restrained him, but said the matter would be investigated.
Michigan State Police officials referred to the case to the Michigan Attorney General's Office in July.
LPD allowed officers to return to work
LPD allowed the four officers — Sgt. Edgar Guerra, Detention Officer Gary Worden, Detention Officer Charles Wright and Officer Trevor Allma — involved in restraining Hulon to return to work despite the ongoing criminal investigation by the AG's office.
Green has said he cleared the officers to return to work after what he described as a "preliminary" internal investigation. No records exist as evidence that the internal investigation occurred, according to a Freedom of Information Act Request filed by the Lansing State Journal.
More: Schor's predecessor Virg Bernero criticizes city over transparency in jail death
In addition to saying the officers needed to be fired and charged with crimes, Hulon's sisters joined protestors in calling for an end to qualified immunity for police, a judicial doctrine that allows government officials to be shielded from personal liability for violating someone's rights.
Schor has indicated he is considering closing the jail in the basement of City Hall, where Hulon was detained. If Lansing closed the lock-up, people who need to be detained would be transported to the Ingham County Jail in Mason.
The following video, provided by attorneys for the estate of Anthony Hulon, is disturbing and includes strong language.
Contact reporter Sarah Lehr at slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.