Wrongful death lawsuit filed in connection to former NFL player Glenn Foster, who died in 2021 after police arrest

The estate of former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr. has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against officials in Pickens County, Alabama, in connection with his 2021 death, a family attorney said Wednesday.

Foster, 31, died in December 2021 at a medical facility north of Tuscaloosa two days after he was taken into police custody, authorities said at the time.

He had been arrested in the small town of Reform in Pickens County after officers allegedly saw him driving recklessly, the Reform Police Department told NOLA.com at the time.

The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims members of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and Pickens County Jail are responsible for Foster’s death. The lawsuit also names the county as a defendant.

CNN has reached out to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the county for comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuit lists seven counts including wrongful death; negligent training, supervision and discipline; and violation of substantive due process.

The lawsuit claims Foster was “tortured” after his arrest during the traffic stop in December 2021.

“Defendants tased, struck, beat, and choked Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster later died from the brutal injuries Defendants inflicted upon him,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ excessive and barbaric use of force violated Mr. Foster’s civil rights. Their actions robbed the Foster family of a son, father, and husband.”

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in damages exceeding $75,000.

“Plaintiff brings this action to recover monetary damages to recover for the unspeakable loss Defendant’s caused them and to punish Defendants for their actions,” the lawsuit states.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing Foster’s family in the lawsuit, which they announced in a news conference Wednesday.

“My son didn’t have to die,” Sabrina Foster said during the news conference. “We as a tax-payer society, we are paying their salary, so if they murder us, we are paying them to kill us.”

“If we’re going to pay you, you need to do right by the law,” she added.

Foster, who was a defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints in 2013 and 2014, may have been going through a manic episode in the days leading up to his arrest, his father told CNN in 2021.

In their phone conversation a day before his son’s arrest, Foster was being “uncooperative” and “not being reasonable,” his father said in 2021. He did not elaborate on what his son was being uncooperative about.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency had said it was investigating the Foster’s death. CNN has reached out to the agency for an update on the investigation.

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