Spencer v. Tuscaloosa County et al

On March 28, 2023, Chasity Spencer, acting as the personal representative of the estate of Derrick Spencer, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the Northern District of Alabama against Tuscaloosa County and several jail officials. Derrick Spencer died on October 4, 2022, after being restrained by correctional officers inside the Tuscaloosa County Jail. The complaint alleged that officers subjected him to prolonged prone restraint, pressure to the back, and chemical spray without justification, causing asphyxiation. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide due to complications of restraint by law enforcement. The suit claimed excessive force, deliberate indifference to medical needs, and wrongful death under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The case was resolved through a settlement. In December 2023, the Tuscaloosa County Commission approved a $2.9 million payment to the estate of Derrick Spencer, bringing the federal lawsuit to a close without a trial or admission of liability.

Whether the correctional officers used objectively unreasonable force during the restraint of Derrick Spencer, and whether the county’s customs, policies, or failure to train amounted to deliberate indifference causing his death.

The case drew renewed scrutiny to jail conditions and use-of-force practices in Tuscaloosa County, intensifying public demands for independent oversight, body-camera transparency, and reforms in correctional restraint techniques. It also contributed to wider discussions about in-custody deaths and qualified immunity in Alabama.