Lawsuit filed after man killed during mental health crisis
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - A lawsuit was filed in Oklahoma County District Court in response to Ernest Antwine being found dead on the road in 2021. His mother is now demanding justice.
The suit alleges that in August of 2021 Antwine was having a mental health episode on the front porch of his mom's home.
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"She called the police thinking that they would come and help," said Dr. Kevin Kemper represents Ernest's mother, Shirley. "She believes her child wasn't just her son. She believed that he was a child of God and that he deserves to be treated right and he wasn't."
The suit claims Oklahoma City Police Officer Robert Burton arrived at the home near Northeast 25th Street where he allegedly forced Antwine into the squad car. The lawsuit states that Officer Burton told Shirley he would take Ernest to jail.
"Instead, he would force him in the car and then drop him off in no man's land," said Dr. Kemper.
The suit states that Officer Burton would drop Ernest near Northeast 10th and Sooner Road. The intersection is called no man's land because it is where Oklahoma City's jurisdiction ends and Midwest City's begins.
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According to the lawsuit, It would be minutes later and a couple of blocks north of where he was dropped off where a vehicle would hit and kill Ernest.
"The police should have helped him go to where he needed to go to get help and they didn't do that," said Dr. Kemper.
At the time that Ernest was picked up, the lawsuit states that he was high on drugs. Dr. Kemper says that Antwine was known very well at the Oklahoma City Police Department as he has faced several drug charges.
"They would pick him up and take him to jail and many times take him to the hospital to get him help," said Dr. Kemper. "His mother trusted Oklahoma City Police when she called 911 and then this is what happened. Her son was killed."
Dr. Kemper says Shirley wants change on many levels but one specifically is for Oklahoma City Police to handle mental health/addiction issues better.
"She wants accountability," said Dr. Kemper. "Yeah, she'd like to see some accountability because she trusted them."
Oklahoma City Police Department did not comment on the case and said that they would not due to pending litigation.
Currently, the department is in the middle of an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Justice Department over their response to mental health situations.