KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note (2/21/23): The District Attorney General's Office said no charges will be filed against the officers in this case, saying an autopsy revealed the woman died of natural causes from a stroke. You can read more at this link.
A 60-year-old woman who became unresponsive in police custody has died, the Knoxville Police Department said.
At around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, KPD was dispatched to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. The woman, identified in the incident report as Lisa Edwards, was outside of the emergency room and refused to leave the property after she was discharged, KPD said.
Her family said that doesn't make sense. They said Edwards is disabled and couldn't have left on her own, even if she wanted to.
"She had a stroke. She cannot walk. She needs a wheelchair," said August Boylan, her daughter-in-law. "Nothing makes sense to us, because we don't have all of the information of what happened."
Police said security at Fort Sanders contacted them initially, saying Edwards had been released from treatment by a medical professional.
The woman was transported to the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility to be booked on trespassing charges, KPD said. KPD said officers did not handcuff her or use force while taking her into custody.
While the officer was driving to the jail, Edwards became unresponsive.
"They discharged her and less than four hours later, she's intubated," Boylan said. "We just want to know what happened. If there is any kind of negligence or criminal behavior or anything, obviously, we want that to come to light and justice to be served."
Boylan said her mother-in-law had four heart attacks before dying in the hospital Monday evening.
"Everybody has things that happened to them in their life and nobody's perfect," Boylan said. "But, everybody deserves to have dignity and respect."
10News reached out to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center for more details on what happened outside the emergency room.
"Patient care and privacy are of the highest importance at Fort Sanders Regional. We cannot share specific details of the patient’s care, but we want to extend our deepest sympathy to the family in their loss," the hospital said. "We are continuing to gather information and are cooperating with local law enforcement in their investigation."
KPD said the Tennesse Bureau of Investigation will investigate the in-custody death. Once that process is complete, it will be handed over to District Attorney General Charme Allen.
Three officers and one transportation wagon driver have been placed on routine administrative leave during the investigation, according to KPD.
Editor's Note: KPD initially said the woman was 61 years old. However, her date of birth in the incident report is listed as Aug. 6, 1962, which would make her 60 years old.