DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann has requested a probe by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation into the death of a county sheriff's recruit.
The move comes after WSB-TV reported (http://bit.ly/1whHWyl ) the death of 29-year-old George Ward last year was never investigated, despite surveillance videos showing the man — who was ordered to wear a pink shirt and baseball cap — struggling through training exercises and vomiting.
The county medical examiner's office initially linked Ward's death to a pre-existing heart condition. Ward's mother disputed that, saying her son had annual physicals and was never diagnosed with a heart condition.
Medical examiners reviewed Ward's autopsy and said physical exertion and overheating contributed to Ward's death.
Mann says he's confident the response by the sheriff's office to Ward's death was appropriate and professional.
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Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html
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