Grand Jury to Review Case of Black Man Dragged to Death by Irontown Police

From The Herald-Dispatch

IRONTON -- The case involving the death and unexplained dragging of Guy Cameron Thomas for 10 blocks under an Ironton police cruiser in the snow will be presented to an upcoming session of the Lawrence County grand jury, Prosecutor J.B. Collier Jr. said Monday.

Thomas, 46, of 914 S. 9th St., Ironton, was found dead March 8 beneath a police cruiser outside the Ironton Police Department. His body had been dragged about 10 blocks beneath the cruiser on a snowy and icy night.

On Monday, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigations turned over a file in the case to the prosecutor's office.

A preliminary autopsy report from the Franklin County Coroner's office showed Thomas died from asphyxiation and that his chest was crushed and several ribs broken, Collier said.

County Coroner Burton Payne said it isn't known whether the ribs were fractured before or after Thomas died.

"There was no evidence of an impact injury," Payne said.

Some findings could be consistent with a seizure, he said.

An Ohio Highway Patrol report showed Thomas had been lying on South 9th Street when his body became lodged under the cruiser.

"It's quite an extensive file," Collier said. "We still don't have a toxicology report or a final autopsy report. It could take up to six weeks to get those. Because of the notoriety, we'll present it to the grand jury."

Patrolman Richard Fouts, 27, has been placed on paid, administrative leave for more than two weeks. He has served on the police force for only two months.

Deotis Conwell, second vice president of the local branch of the NAACP, declined to comment Monday about having the case presented to the grand jury. He did say the NAACP is still watching how the case is handled by authorities. [MORE]