FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Newly released police bodycam video shows the physical restraint of 27-year-old Leon Davis moments before he died on the floor of St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.
The release of the footage comes as Davis’ family filed a lawsuit against the City of Federal Way, the Federal Way Police Department and the hospital, alleging wrongful death and negligence.
Davis voluntarily walked into St. Francis Hospital on March 12 seeking medical care after drinking and feeling ill.
According to his family and legal representatives, Davis was a model patient for two days before requesting to leave the facility.
When medical staff refused to let him depart, Davis resisted, leading to the physical struggle with security personnel and responding officers.
The bodycam video shows Davis handcuffed, face-down on the floor with people on top of him as he struggled to breathe while blood came out of his nose and mouth.
Family attorneys stated Davis was held down for at least 25 minutes, had a spit hood placed over his head despite not spitting on anyone and was administered tranquilizers by hospital staff before going into cardiac arrest.
Roger Rogoff, an attorney for the Davis family, described the manner in which officers and guards held Davis to the floor.
“The security guards were lying across his legs and buttocks, forcing his body into the floor, making it difficult for him to breathe and making it difficult for his heart to work,” Rogoff said.
Sim Osborn, another attorney representing the family, noted that Davis was within his rights when he tried to leave the medical center.
“He had every right to leave. They put Leon on the ground; security put him on the ground, first face down with his arms cuffed behind his back,” Osborn said.
Police held the bodycam footage for more than seven months before the family requested its release.
Osborn questioned the timeframe surrounding the video’s disclosure.
“The investigating team on this case and the police have held that footage for more than seven months. Why? Why did they hold that video?” Osborn said.
Attorneys have not disclosed how they obtained the recording. Shannice Johnson, Davis’ sister, remembered her brother’s personality before speaking out against the actions recorded in the hospital.
“He just was really outgoing as a big teddy bear; he was our peacemaker,” Johnson said.
Upon examining the footage, Johnson expressed outrage over the treatment he received.
“Reviewing the tape, there’s no way that you could think that it was okay what happened to him; no one deserves to be treated that way,” Johnson said. “It shows the negligence on the medical staff side, the police side, and the brutality he endured.”
Calls to the Federal Way Police Department about the lawsuit went unanswered.
In a statement to KIRO, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operates St. Francis, said:
“We cannot comment on ongoing legal matters or discuss specific patient details out of respect for patient privacy. The safety and well-being of our patients and team members remain our highest priority.”
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