7 Ohio prison employees removed after Black inmate’s death

By FARNOUSH AMIRI
Report for America/Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s correctional agency has terminated seven employees after officials say prison guards used excessive and unjustified force against a Black inmate before he died in custody in February. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction sent a notice of removal to five corrections officers, a supervisor and a licensed nurse following an investigation into the in-custody death of 55-year-old Michael McDaniel. The Franklin County Coroner’s office had declared McDaniel’s death a homicide and ruled the cause as a “stress-induced sudden cardiac death.” Officials say three other staff involved in the incident previously resigned. A county prosecutor will make a decision on whether to file any criminal charges.