1,000 signatures reached
To: District Attorney Kym Worthy
Demand a Fair and Transparent Investigation into the Death of Priscilla Slater
- Give transparent answers and justice for her family and speedy medical examination
- Make the results of the soon-to-be-released autopsy and toxicology report available to the public
- Fire all six police department employees involved
- Release the video of Priscilla Slater in the Harper Woods detention cell
- Hire a special investigator or the Attorney Generals Office (Dana Nessel) and not the police department to review the case..
Why is this important?
We are demanding answers for the family of Priscilla Slater after she died in police custody at Harper Woods Police Jail. Priscilla was with a man, Lewis Nichols, at Parkcrest Motel on Tuesday, June 9th. While at the motel, a shooting occurred for which Nichols was charged.
When Harper Woods police officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they allegedly found Nichols and Slater mysteriously asleep in a vehicle. They were both arrested and detained in a holding cell at the Harper Woods Department of Public Safety..
While in the holding cell, 36 hours later after previously telling the Slater family they didn't have Ms. Slater in custody, Priscilla was found unresponsive by the Harper Woods Department of Public Safety staff. At that moment, medics attempted to revive Slater unsuccessfully. She was then transported to St. John Hospital where a physician pronounced her dead.
Two supervisors and four civilian public safety employees responsible for her care were placed on administrative leave. At this time, we do not know if their leave is unpaid or if they will be subsequently fired.
There are a lot of missing pieces to this story that we demand answers for to ensure a fair and just investigation. If Priscilla was not able to move at the time of arrest, we ask why she did not receive medical care prior to being detained. If she is supposed to be checked on every 30 minutes, we ask why 36 hrs went by before they discovered she was unresponsive.
The Michigan State Police are investigating the incident but we believe this incident should be investigated by an independent prosecutor. We cannot trust the police department to investigate their own with integrity, especially considering the Harper Woods PD did not immediately release video to the MSP allegedly do to an unconfirmed power outage.
Priscilla was an innocent victim never charged of a crime. She deserved support, care and safety - not incarceration. We demand a full, expeditious and transparent investigation to ensure that those involved with her death are held fully accountable. #JusticeForPriscilla .