A local sheriff asks the FBI to investigate the death of a black man found hanged in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The FBI is investigating the death of a black man in Alabama who was found hanged in an abandoned home after a local sheriff’s inquiry amid concerns among community members who accuse local law enforcement of longstanding, out-of-control misconduct.

Sheriff’s deputies found Dennorriss Richardson, 39, in September in rural Colbert County, a few miles from his home in Sheffield, a city of about 10,000 on the Tennessee River.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office ruled Richardson’s death a suicide. But Richardson’s wife, Lee Richardson, said that was not true, explaining that her husband had not left the note and had nothing to do with the house where he was found.

Instead, the 40-year-old fears her husband’s death was linked to a lawsuit he filed against the local police department in February. Dennorris Richardson, who coached children’s baseball and soccer, alleged that he was assaulted, denied medical care, tear gassed and tasered while in prison.

Lee Richardson said she does not blame anyone, but is adamant her husband did not kill himself.

She is not alone in her faith. The widespread skepticism about Richardson’s death underscores the deep distrust of local law enforcement in Colbert County. In a region where hangings spark a long history of state-sanctioned lynchings for black people, county residents say local law enforcement is using excessive force.

Sheriff Eric Ballentine, who confirmed the FBI had accepted his request for an investigation, said his department had “exhausted all resources” in its investigation.

“We are confident in our findings, but we feel that by doing this we can give the family more peace of mind,” Ballentine said.

A representative from the FBI’s Birmingham field office confirmed that the FBI is aware of Dannoris Richardson’s death and is considering criminal charges.

Tori Bailey, president of the local NAACP chapter and the only black member of Colbert County’s six-member county commission, said the community’s reaction to Richardson’s death was partly driven by the region’s horrific history of executions.

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit criminal justice reform organization, there were 359 lynchings in Alabama between 1877 and 1943. There were 11 in Colbert County alone.

Bailey said that while there may be nothing to the allegations, it makes sense that the community would have a “gut-wrenching” reaction to the hanging of a black man and want a more thorough investigation. She said that while some officers try to do the right thing, in her 12 years as NAACP president, she has documented and investigated many cases of excessive force in the county.

“There has long been a gap between communities of color and law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, many of us don’t feel that law enforcement actually exists to serve and protect,” Bailey said.

Marvin Long, a 57-year-old black man and lifelong Colbert County resident, has known Dennorris Richardson’s family since he was a child. He shares his skepticism about the suicide decision and said Richardson’s death heightened his fear of revenge.

“To this day, I hate seeing a police car,” Long said. “I’m still more scared now than ever.”

Long sued the Sheffield Police Department last year. After he asked about an unrelated arrest that took place outside his property in 2021, it emerged that surveillance footage showed officers following Long to his home, dragging him down the front steps and pouncing on him. on him by a police K9 as he screams for help. According to the complaint, Long was unarmed.

Richardson and Long are among five black and Hispanic men represented by civil rights attorney Roderick Van Daniel who have filed lawsuits against the department in recent years.

“Citizens live in fear of retaliation,” Van Daniel said.

In one incident, an off-duty Sheffield police officer was caught on surveillance camera punching and pulling a gun on a black man in a liquor store. The officer was later found guilty of assault and menacing and reckless endangerment. He was dismissed from the department.

In a separate lawsuit, the 57-year-old chiropractor claims he was tasered 18 times while handcuffed after he asked an officer to help him find his wife’s iPhone. Photos included in the suit show several large burns, allegedly from an attack.

The Sheffield Police Department did not return numerous phone calls and emails seeking comment on the situation. Attorneys for the officers named in the pending lawsuits did not respond to emails.

Ballentine, the sheriff since 2023, declined to comment on specific cases. But he said in his nearly 30 years as an officer in the area, he believes Colbert County residents generally trust law enforcement.

“If it is proven that it was excessive, then I’m sure there will be accountability,” he said.

Still, Ballentine said he hoped the FBI’s investigation would help allay concerns.

“Transparency is always a good way to iron out some differences with the community,” he said.

Lee Richardson had known her husband since she was 17 years old. She remembers Dennorriss, affectionately known as “Na-Na,” as a warm father to their five children. But she also said his fear of the police is nothing new.

“He was scared at such a young age,” Richardson said.

Richardson said that after filing the lawsuit, her husband was frequently stopped by the police. According to her, during those months he “tried to stay away.”

Sheffield Mayor Steve Stanley said Dannoris Richardson had come to his office at least once to express his concerns about being profiled. Stanley said he assured Richardson that any officers reported through official channels would be investigated.

The Sheffield Police Department would not confirm whether or how often Richardson was stopped.

Court documents show that Dannoris Richardson had a long history of run-ins with local law enforcement, but most of the charges in federal and state courts have not been upheld.

In 2006, Dennoris Richardson pleaded guilty to drug possession and was sentenced to five years in prison. In the more than 15 years since then, court records show Richardson has been arrested at least six times by the Sheffield Police Department on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to robbery and assault.

None of those charges, with the exception of a traffic violation for having expired tags, resulted in a conviction, according to available court records.

In the same week that Richardson filed suit against the department, he was charged with trafficking methamphetamine. He was detained in the house where drugs were allegedly found. Richardson was in custody when he died.

Stanley said he strongly supports holding officers accountable for misconduct, but emphasized his immense confidence in them.

“I’ve preached and believe that at least most officers recognize that everyone deserves respect,” Stanley said.

Still, there is uncertainty in society amid the looming investigation.

In early October, Richardson’s friends and family filled the pews of the small Trinity Memorial Funeral Home to honor his life. Singing and sermons were punctuated by calls for justice.

Speaking at the lectern, Van Daniel, Richardson’s attorney, said Richardson “believed in transparency and accountability. He spoke out against police misconduct.”

As Van Daniel spoke, a steady chorus of “Amens” rang out from the crowd.

“His family and the community of Sheffield deserve answers,” he said. – We deserve answers.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988.

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Riddle is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative corps. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to cover under-covered issues.