Due to conflicts of interest in Erie and Niagara Counties, the Cattaraugus County District Attorney has been named the special prosecutor in a case involving a man who was allegedly suffocated while in the Erie County Holding Center in 2012.
Richard Metcalf Jr. died at Erie County Medical Center after being removed from the Erie County Holding Center. According to the state Commission of Correction, Metcalf was suffocated by jail deputies improperly applying restraint devices.
Family lawyers to the Metcalf family say the civil suit is now on hold, because deputies have retained their own counsel. The lawyers also say video footage of Metcalf being transported, which show the restraint, "clearly speaks for itself."
