Man dies after struggling with police for baby

**angryharry** · 17th-February-2006

The Birmingham News
24 January 2006

Man dies after struggling with police for baby
By Ryan Mills <rmills@bhamnews.com>
News staff writer

A 27-year-old Birmingham man died early Sunday after a struggle with
Birmingham police who were attempting to wrestle his 9-month-old baby from
his arms.

Riley Devon Holifield was pronounced dead at Baptist Medical Center
Princeton at 6:10 a.m., Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Jay Glass
said. A doctor told the family the man had gone into cardiac arrest.

Holifield's sister Kimekia Gamble, who was at the scene, said Holifield was
threatening to leave with the couple's 9-month-old daughter when police
arrived. Officers from Birmingham's West Precinct tried to persuade
Holifield to hand over the baby, but he refused, Gamble said.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Henry Irby said the Homicide Division is
investigating. He would not comment on the case until the coroner releases
a report.

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday with toxicology tests to follow, Glass
said.

The incident started about 4:30 a.m. with an argument between Holifield and
his wife, Lachicka Williams Holifield, at the couple's home at 2820 John
Bryan Road.

The officers called for backup and when they arrived the officers started
hitting Holifield on the arms and legs with their nightsticks, Gamble said.
She said the officers would hit him and then back away and ask again for
the baby.

"It wasn't a beating or anything," Gamble said. "I want to be perfectly
clear about that."

Eventually the officers sprayed the man with pepper spray.

"It was either two or three officers who were taking the baby out of his
arms," Gamble said. "The others were taking him to the ground so they could
'cuff him. They kind of did it at the same time."

After the officers got Holifield on the ground they handcuffed his hands
and his feet, Gamble said.

"He was still talking and mumbling and struggling a bit," Gamble said. "All
of a sudden he got quiet. They rolled him over and checked for a pulse.
They called the EMTs over to try to resuscitate him."

Doctors told Gamble that Holifield had gone into cardiac arrest.

Gamble described her brother as a mild-mannered man who was a good father
to his children. Holifield, who worked for Hertz Rent-A-Car at the
Birmingham Airport, also has a 4-year-old son, his father Riley Holifield
Jr. said. He said he is hoping the coroner's report will explain exactly
what happened.

"I'm not at peace until I find out," Riley Holifield Jr. said.

Gamble said she did not see the officers do anything wrong, but admitted
that she wasn't able to see everything.

"I didn't see anybody acting out of line or being excessive," she said. "If
something did happen, we'll know."

Riley Holifield Jr. said that the baby had to be taken to the Birmingham
Children's Hospital because she got pepper spray in her eyes.

**Marx** · 17th-February-2006

Quote from angryharry

...Holifield was
threatening to leave with the couple's 9-month-old daughter when police arrived. Officers from Birmingham's West Precinct tried to persuade Holifield to hand over the baby, but he refused, Gamble said.

The officers called for backup and when they arrived the officers started hitting Holifield on the arms and legs with their nightsticks, Gamble said. She said the officers would hit him and then back away and ask again for the baby.Eventually the officers sprayed the man with pepper spray.

"It was either two or three officers who were taking the baby out of his
arms," Gamble said. "The others were taking him to the ground so they could cuff him. They kind of did it at the same time."

After the officers got Holifield on the ground they handcuffed his hands
and his feet, Gamble said.

Gamble described her brother as a mild-mannered man who was a good father to his children. Holifield, who worked for Hertz Rent-A-Car at the Birmingham Airport, also has a 4-year-old son, his father Riley Holifield Jr. said. He said he is hoping the coroner's report will explain exactly what happened.

Sickening. I'll be writing in, asking if they'd batter a mother threatening to leave with the children, or spray her with pepper-spray in the eyes - i'm betting they would not.
Excuse my french - The complete and utter bar-stewards!

I didn't locate the original article, but i did find this one

**Duncan Idaho** · 17th-February-2006

Let me get this straight; these pigs demanded this man hand over his own child to the pigs, and - like a good father - he refused. So they started beating him and blasting him with pepper spray, killing him in the process

As Karl pointed out, there is no way they would do this to a mother.

1990s rap-group NWA had a good song about the police. I forget it's title though. It had the 'f' word in it, I seem to recall, and the words "the" and "police". It was quite catchy. If only I could remember it's title.

**Marx** · 17th-February-2006

What with being accused of kidnapping (their own children) and then being beaten senseless - or in this man's case - to death, it is little wonder men seldom try to escape violent relationships...

This article reflects very clearly what the feminists deny - preferential treatment of women AND demonization of men/fathers... Why are the police involved simply because he wanted to take his child? Why were the cops making him hand over HIS child? Why did the police get heavy handed? Why....?

**sealion** · 18th-February-2006

I know what I would like to post , but I dare not post it .
This has made me angry . I will leave it at that .

**no2fembots** · 14th-March-2006

Yet another man bites the big one at the hands of the STATE, and who gives a shit, eh?

Fuck him! He was most likely a child molesting son-of-a-bitch anyway. Right?

Or maybe he beat his poor little wifey each and every day. Gotta be that one, right?

Or maybe, JUST MAYBE he was a man who loved his child and had every valid reason in the world to NOT surrender HIS child to the "mob"!!!

Either way, a woman would NEVER have been treated with such violence and disregard for his HUMANITY as He was!

Sometimes I think, "If it weren't for Stoli I'd explode!"

**Beohun72** · 20th-June-2008

Quote from Marx

Why were the cops making him hand over HIS child? Why did the police get heavy handed? Why....?

If this is the case I think it is. He was white and his was black, the baby took after the mother more than him so when someone on the hospital staff saw the white guy carrying a "black" baby, they assumed he was a abductor.

**Dylan MacVillain** · 20th-June-2008

The officers should be charged with murder and attempted murder. Besides the obvious abuse and murder of the father, what rational cop would pepper spray a person who was holding a baby? Had they no fear they would spray the baby and kill him too?

**bachelor tom** · 20th-June-2008

Quote from AKUUS

The officers should be charged with murder and attempted murder. Besides the obvious abuse and murder of the father, what rational cop would pepper spray a person who was holding a baby? Had they no fear they would spray the baby and kill him too?

Yeah, the whole thing stinks