An Alabama sheriff asks the FBI to investigate the hanging death of a black man

The FBI is investigating the case of a black man found hanging in an abandoned house in Alabama.

In September, officers found the body of 39-year-old Dennoris Richardson in a rural part of the state’s lynch-prone Deep South.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office initially ruled the man’s death a suicide. But the case has drawn widespread skepticism from community members and from Richardson’s wife, Leigh, who says she believes her husband’s death stemmed from a lawsuit he filed in February against the local police department.

While in prison, the man claimed he was attacked, denied medical treatment, sprayed with tear gas and shocked with a stun gun. – reports ABC News.

Moreover, her husband had no connection with the house where he was found, and a suicide note was never found.

Sheriff Eric Balentine told the website he was confident in the findings but believed a federal investigation would provide the family with greater peace of mind.

He said the department had “exhausted all resources” investigating the case.

Independent contacted the sheriff’s office asking for more information. In a written statement, the FBI said it “is aware of the tragic death of Dennoriss Richardson and takes allegations of violations of federal law seriously. The FBI reviews allegations of criminal conduct for merit and conducts further investigations if there is evidence of a potential violation of federal law.”

Richardson’s wife described her late husband as a “warm” father of five children. She said that within months of filing the lawsuit, local police routinely detained her husband, who tried to stay out of his way.

Her husband went so far as to report the officers’ behavior to the Mayor of Sheffield’s office. Mayor Steve Stanley told Richardson that any officer reported through official channels would be investigated.

Richardson was charged with trafficking methamphetamine the week he filed a lawsuit against the department. The police arrested him at the house where drugs were found. He was on bail when he died.

“I have preached and I believe that at least most officers recognize that everyone deserves respect,” the mayor told the website.

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, at least 11 people were lynched in Colbert County between 1877 and 1943.