Photo: Parsa family attorneys via WWL-TV
DESTREHAN - A couple is suing the Jefferson Parish Sheriff s Office for negligence related to the death of their severely autistic son.
The confrontation happened last January in the parking lot of a Metairie shopping center.
Video released by the family s attorney show Eric Para, 16, leaving the Laser Tag of Metairie. Eric appeared to become upset and began slapping at himself and his father. Because of his limited language skills, Eric could be self-injurious and have aggressive behaviors when he was frustrated,” Donna Lou, Eric s mother, told WWL-TV.
The station reports the lawsuit alleges deputies arrived on the scene and placed Eric face down on the ground before cuffing his hands behind his back and sitting on him for more than nine minutes. They also claim one of the deputies put the teen in a chokehold.
Louisiana deputies held autistic teen face down on pavement, sat on him for 9 minutes before his death: lawsuit Nelson Oliveira
The parents of a “severely autistic” teenager are suing a Louisiana sheriff’s office for the death of their son early last year, saying multiple deputies held him face down on the pavement and sat on him for more than nine minutes while trying to restrain him.
The suit, filed in federal court Thursday, claims the officers placed 16-year-old Eric Parsa in a prone position, handcuffed and shackled him, held him down and applied their own body weight as a form of restraint while the boy was having an outburst and trying to attack his parents. The family accuses the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office of using excessive force despite knowing the teen was autistic and obese.
A teen with autism died after Louisiana deputies sat on him for 9 minutes, parents lawsuit says
Eric Parsa, right, is seen with his mother, Donna Lou, center, and father, Daren Parsa. (CNN)The parents of a 16-year-old with severe autism who died last year are suing the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, sheriff, claiming the teen s death was caused by deputies who restrained and sat on him for 9 minutes. Never did we ever think that our 16-year-old son with special needs would die in front of our eyes at his age and in the hands of law enforcement, Donna Lou, the mother of the teen, Eric Parsa, said Thursday in a news conference.
The parents of a “severely autistic” teenager are suing a Louisiana sheriff’s office for the death of their son early last year, saying multiple deputies held him face down on the pavement and sat on him for more than nine minutes while trying to restrain him. The suit, filed in federal court Thursday, claims the officers placed 16-year-old Eric Parsa in a prone position, handcuffed and shackled him, held him down and applied their own body weight as a form of restraint while the boy was having an outburst and trying to attack his parents.
Attorneys say deputies restrained Eric by placing him face down on the pavement, handcuffing him behind his back and sitting on him for more than 9 minutes.