Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody

Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of police and dismissed a lawsuit alleging negligence in the 2020 death of a woman while she was in custody in suburban Detroit. The court says there was not enough evidence to show Harper Woods police were “grossly negligent” in how they handled Priscilla Slater. Slater and a boyfriend were arrested in June 2020 after a disturbance that involved gunshots at a motel. There was no dispute that Slater had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol before her arrest. She died of natural causes in a Harper Woods lockup, roughly 36 hours later.