Family of Joshua Harvey file lawsuit against Tulsa police for his death
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The parents of Joshua Harvey, who died days after being tased by Tulsa police in 2018, have filed a lawsuit against the City of Tulsa and Tulsa Police Department.
On Aug. 24, 2018, police received multiple calls of a man screaming in the street and taking off his clothes near East 6th Street and Main Street.
Officers said Harvey, 26 years old at the time, pulled so hard on the glass door of a nearby bank, causing the glass to shatter.
Body camera video shows Tulsa police officers tasing Harvey multiple times. According to the 30-page "Use of Force Report", Harvey was tased about 25 times within three minutes. He was taken to a hospital to be treated, where he died three days later.
His family, along with their attorneys Damario Solomon Simmons, Spencer Bryan, Steven Terrill and Cordal Cephas, are holding a lawsuit Friday to announce the filing of their lawsuit.
The lawsuit highlights the following:
- Video shows TPD Officers knew Joshua was mentally impaired
- Video shows unarmed Joshua being tasered over 20 times while lying on the ground
- Video shows a handcuffed and compliant Joshua forcefully held him face down for approximately 15 minutes by TPD officers
- Video shows Joshua begging for help while restrained face down with pressure on his back
- Video shows officers berate a clearly distressed and barely breathing Joshua
- Video shows Joshua have a heart attack and go unconscious while officers are laughing and joking
- TASER material explicitly warns excessive tasing increases the risk of death
- TPD tried to cover-up their role in Joshua’s death
- To-date none of the TPD officers involved have been disciplined
- Clear example why independent oversight of TPD Use of Force is necessary
- AMR failed to take control of the scene and provide an adequate medical attention
