Family of man who died after arrest suing Coitsville police, Clemente ambulance

YOUNGSTOWN

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the Coitsville Township Police Department and Clemente McKay Ambulance Inc. of Struthers saying both failed to intervene to save the life of a man who was improperly restrained while in police custody.

The lawsuit was filed by Joseph Robbins of Columbia, S.C., nephew and fiduciary of the estate of Garry Robbins, 49, of Struthers, who was pronounced dead May 22, 2013.

Coitsville police placed Garry Robbins under arrest and had him transported via a company ambulance to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Despite the patient’s erratic behavior, Coitsville police “failed to properly restrain the decedent and negligently restrained him, all of which proximately caused his death by restraint asphyxia,” the suit says.

Coitsville Police Chief Michael Morris declined to comment on the lawsuit, and ambulance company officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the complete story in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.