Family of Ex-NFL Player Stanley Wilson, Jr. Claims He Died Of Excessive Force By Cops

On Feb. 1, former NFL cornerback Stanley Wilson, Jr. died at a Los Angeles County mental hospital after reportedly collapsing and falling off a chair.

One month later, Wilson’s family is alleging that law enforcement was responsible for lacerations and bruises discovered on the player’s body.

According to TMZ Sports, Wilson, Jr.’s mom, Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, filed three claims against LA County on Tuesday. Their attorney, John Carpenter, shared that photos of Wilson, Jr.’s body showed he was detained and beaten before dying. Lucas is seeking $45 million in damages. The family has not seen the autopsy data but has viewed the body.

Carpenter shared the photos and said they had a “stark contrast to what we’ve been hearing.”

“It appears from the way Stanley’s body was returned to his parents that he was in restraints at the time of his death,” Carpenter said during a news conference Tuesday.

“You can tell from the ligature marks on his wrist that was the case and there were fresh wounds to his forehead, which appeared to be caused by a shoe and so that’s in stark contrast to what we’ve been told from the county regarding the circumstances of his death,” Carpenter added.

Wilson, Jr. had been detained following a vandalism arrest in November where he broke into a Hollywood Hills residence. He was deemed too incompetent to stand trial before joining the mental facility.

The Lions selected Wilson, Jr. in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Wilson, Jr. exited the league after suffering a career-ending Achilles injury in 2008.