ATLANTA (CNN)Nine
Georgia deputies have been fired in connection with the death of a
21-year-old student in Savannah, Georgia, authorities announced Friday.
The firings are related to the case of Matthew Ajibade, who died in an isolation cell on New Year's Day, said Gena Bilbo, the Chatham County Sheriff's spokeswoman.
Two of the nine deputies who were fired had been on paid leave.
Ajibade, who was from Nigeria, was arrested on January 1 after police received a phone call about a domestic disturbance.
Authorities
arrived and saw Ajibade holding a women under a blanket, according to
an incident report. Her "face was bruised, and her nose was bleeding,"
the report said.
The Sheriff's Office said Ajibade "became combative during the booking process."
His
family has hired Mark O'Mara, a CNN legal analyst who represented
George Zimmerman in the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.
Ajibade had bipolar disorder, O'Mara said.
After
Ajibade's death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internal
Affairs Division of the Sheriff's Office began separate reviews. The
district attorney is still reviewing the case and will decide if
criminal charges are warranted, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The
Sheriff's Office also announced policy changes it intends to pursue as a
result of the incident, including procedures that require on-site
medical personnel to be notified when a person with medication arrives
for booking.
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