Mother Sues Sheriff Over Death Of Mentally ill Son

Amina Abdi and her son Nur discuss her son Nasir, shown in a passport photo taken the day he died.

Columbus, October 4, 2006 – The mother of a man who was killed by deputies is asking a court to order the Franklin County sheriff to provide specialized training to those who deal with the mentally ill.

Amina Abdi, who fled with her seven children from Somalia to Columbus, is also seeking damages in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for the death of her son Nasir.

Nasir, who was 23 and had paranoid schizophrenia, was outside his Northeast Side home when four deputies approached him on Dec. 28. The family had called for help, saying he was off his medication and hearing voices. Probate Court had issued a warrant to take him to treatment, saying he was a danger to himself and others.

Deputies say Nasir Abdi pulled a knife when they approached him and didn't respond to orders to drop it, so they sprayed him with pepper spray. He then lunged at them, they said, and he was shot and killed.

Fred Gittes, attorney for Abdi, said the deputies mishandled the situation. Rather than calming Nasir, they came at him with guns drawn, upset him further and, within a minute of arriving, fired the fatal shot.

Sheriff Jim Karnes has said he is seeking training for the deputies who serve warrants on the mentally ill. Free training, used by Columbus and other area police, has been available for nearly three years.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

Home | Contact us | Links | Archives