CAMPBELL POLICE DEPARTMENT Family to file suit in man's death

An autopsy reports says the man suffered a broken neck before dying.
CAMPBELL -- The family of a man who died two weeks after he stopped breathing while in the custody of Campbell police plans to file a civil suit against the city in federal court, an attorney representing the family said Monday.
Attorney Mark Hanni said that an autopsy report revealed that William S. Woodruff, 46, of Coitsville Road, had suffered a broken neck before he died. Hanni said that he had not seen the report but that family members told him that the Mahoning County coroner's office had contacted them with the results.
Calls to officials in the coroner's office seeking comment were not returned.
"Justice should be served in the courtroom, and not in the coroner's office," Hanni said. "We will investigate this to the fullest extent and file the necessary action accordingly."
Woodruff died at St. Elizabeth Health Center on Oct. 7, about two weeks after being admitted. According to a police report, Woodruff fell asleep in a chair and stopped breathing while waiting to be booked. The report said officers checked on him three times between 10:30 and 10:54 p.m. Sept. 24.
They discovered that he wasn't breathing, had only a faint pulse and was unresponsive.
Police reports also indicate that Woodruff was arrested after he threatened police with his two dogs. Identified in the report as Dobermans, they had bitten two people while running loose.
"The family is beside themselves," Hanni said. "He [Woodruff] weighed 120 pounds soaking wet. It's been a mystery as to how he died."
Interpretation of report
Hanni said his understanding of the report was that it's inconclusive whether the broken neck suffered by Woodruff was the cause of death.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation has conducted an investigation into Woodruff's death, but has not released the results, according to Campbell Police Chief Gus Sarigianopolous.
"As far as I know, they're still investigating," he said.
Campbell Law Director Brian Macala also said that his office had received no results from the BCI investigation and that he had not seen a copy of the autopsy report.
Members of Woodruff's family could not be reached to comment.