Anabolic Steroids Blamed for Inmate Death in Case of Apparent Police Brutality

NPC amateur bodybuilder Stewart Peppers died in the custody of the Washington County Detention Center in Johnson City, Tennessee on April 29, 2013. Several guards entered his cell and beat him, tasered him and sprayed pepper spray on him before he lost consciousness and died. The incident appears to be a clear case of police brutality. But law enforcement officials in Washington County want to blame anabolic steroids as the culprit!

Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal and District Attorney General Tony Clark revealed the long-awaited autopsy results on January 24, 2014. The post-mortem toxicology examination uncovered traces of the anabolic steroids nandrolone decanoate, exogenous testosterone and cannabis metabolites in Pepper's system. According to Graybeal and Clark, the death of Peppers was due to “excited delirium” induced by his use of anabolic steroids and marijuana.

Sheriff Graybeal and DA Clark supported the actions involving the use of “hands-on force” by the law enforcement officers involved and maintained that the personnel acted appropriately with no evidence of wrongdoing.

"I support the officers involved in this incident," Graybeal said. “They were confronted with a violent assault and, despite the tragic outcome, responded in an appropriate manner.”

Peppers was a competitive bodybuilder who placed second in the heavyweight division of the NPC Collegiate Nationals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 20, 2012. As anabolic steroid use is commonplace in competitive bodybuilding at all levels, no one has disputed the use of steroids by Peppers.

The problem with the official position maintained by Washington County officials is that there is no direct evidence to suggest anabolic steroids can cause “excited delirium” much less fatalities due to the condition. 

“Excited delirium” itself is the subject of significant controversy. While the condition has been recognized by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), it is not officially recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) or the American Psychological Association (APA). Civil rights advocates have pointed out that “excited delirium” is often conveniently used to absolve blame in cases involving excessive force and police brutality that result in death.

Joe and Natasha Peppers, the parents of Stewart Peppers, aren't buying the anabolic steroid-induced excited delirium explanation. They have filed a $21 million wrongful death lawsuit against Washington County (Tennessee), Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal, Lieutenant Jason Lowe and Corrections Officers Martin, Draper, Cornett, Garmin, and Richards.

Lieutenant Jason Lowe and officers Martin, Draper, Cornett, Garmin and Richards were directly accused of beating their son to death.

The lawsuit details the circumstances in which the six jail employees entered Peppers' cell.

“At the point that Peppers was shouting obscenities at the jail personnel, Defendant Lowe, accompanied by Defendants Martin, Draper, Cornett, Garmin, and Richards entered the cell occupied by the Peppers and began to beat Peppers,” read the complaint filed in the United States District Court in Greenville. 

“After the initial beating, Peppers was placed in and strapped to a restraint chair that prevented Peppers from being able to move, at which point, Defendant Lowe continued to beat Peppers, by striking him repeatedly in the face with his fists.”

Peppers lost consciousness and was subsequently placed on the floor where the officers unsuccessfully performed CPR before notifying the jail nurse. The nurse called Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Peppers was taken to the Johnson City Medical Center Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Which appears to be the most plausible scenario?

Stewart Peppers died from "hands on force" by prison guards (beating and tasering)?

OR

Stewart Peppers died from "excited delirium" caused by anabolic steroids and marijuana?

Source:

Campbell, B. (January 24, 2014). UPDATE: Autopsy results show Stewart Peppers misused steroids. Retrieved from //www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/114135/sheriff-to-announce-autopsy-results-from-washington-county-inmates-death