EAST CHICAGO -- None of the police officers who used pepper spray and batons to subdue Jerome Clement as he suffered a diabetic incident will face charges in his death. The Justice Department has decided not to indict any of the East Chicago police officers who handcuffed Clement after finding him slumped over in his car in August 2006. The officers believed Clement was drunk, when in fact he was having a diabetic attack.
Clement, 39, suffered a heart attack while at least seven officers used pepper spray and batons to bring him under control. He slipped into a coma and died two weeks later. An autopsy showed Clement died of natural causes, complications from diabetes.
The FBI conducted an investigation of the incident and presented its findings to the Department of Justice's civil rights division. Based on those findings, the Justice Department declined to prosecute any officers from the East Chicago Police Department for civil rights violations in Clement's death, according to FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne. In a statement, East Chicago Police Chief Angelo Machuca reiterated his support for the officers involved in the incident.
"As police officers, we are presented with many scenarios in which different decisions must be made within seconds," Machuca said in the written statement. Clement's family has filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages from the police department and the City of East Chicago. The family's attorney, Kevin Smith, said Tuesday he does not think the Justice Department's decision will undermine the suit, which seeks an unspecified sum.
"We still believe Jerry's family will receive justice for what happened to him," Smith said. Contact John Byrne at 648-3072 or jbyrne@post-trib.com EAST CHICAGO -- None of the police officers who used pepper spray and batons to subdue Jerome Clement as he suffered a diabetic incident will face charges in his death.
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