news FBI investigates death of Black man found hanging in Alabama

November 8

The FBI is investigating the death of a Black man who was found hanging in an abandoned Alabama house in September. Dennoriss Richardson's mother doesn't believe her son took his own life, as determined by the local sheriff, she told ABC News on Tuesday.

The Colbert County Sheriff's Office found the 39-year-old in a rural area of the county almost 30 minutes away from his residence in Sheffield, Alabama, his mother Bonita Richardson said.

The sheriff's department ruled Dennoriss Richardson's death a suicide, but his mother believes he was killed. She claimed that her son didn't leave a note and had no connections to the house where he was found.

"I would not accept a suicide [ruling]," Bonita Richardson told ABC News in a phone call. "I will not allow it [his case] to be closed until justice was found because there was foul play somewhere."

Bonita Richardson believes someone associated with the Sheffield Police Department was involved in her son's death because he filed a federal lawsuit against the local department in February, according to the lawsuit. He alleged that police used excessive force by assaulting him, denying him medical attention, spraying him with tear gas and shocking him with a stun gun while he was behind bars.

The Sheffield Police Department did not immediately return ABC News' request for a statement but has disputed the allegations and in May filed a motion to dismiss the suit. The Colbert County Coroner's Office also did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for Richardson's autopsy report or cause of death.

When asked why the sheriff's department ruled Richardson's death a suicide, Balentine said he could not divulge any more information about the case since the FBI currently has it open for investigation.

"The FBI is aware of the tragic death of Dennoriss Richardson and takes allegations of federal law violations seriously," its Birmingham office told ABC News in a statement. "The FBI reviews allegations of criminal conduct for their merit and conducts further investigation if there is evidence of a potential violation of federal law."

Richardson went to Sheffield Mayor Steven Stanley's office on at least two occasions to discuss some concerns, the mayor told ABC News in a statement.

During one visit, Stanley said he complained of being profiled. Stanley recalled telling Richardson profiling was not acceptable and if it was confirmed, it would not be tolerated. Stanley noted that he assumed Richardson was referring to racial profiling, and said that all their conversations were civil and non-confrontational.

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Absolutely tragic, I hope that family gets justice :biblio: