The mother of a Plainfield man who died in the Middlesex County jail in November said she filed suit against Middlesex County, Piscataway and employees of the county jail because she wants justice for her son. Watch video
NEW BRUNSWICK -- The mother of a Plainfield man who died in the Middlesex County jail in November said Tuesday she filed a lawsuit against Middlesex County, Piscataway and employees of the county jail because she wants justice for her son.
"They should have gotten him the help he needed," Veronica Yearby said at a press conference in New Brunswick after filing her lawsuit. "I want other young men with mental health issues to get the help they need when they get arrested. This has got to stop."
David Yearby, 27, died in the early morning hours of Nov. 2 after spending nine hours in a restraining chair at the Middlesex County jail, according to the complaint filed by his mother, who is the administratrix of his estate.
The complaint charged Yearby was maced, beaten, hooded and strapped to the restraint chair before he died of a broken neck at the county jail.
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A four-month investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office revealed details of Yearby's final hours but did but result in criminal charges because it could not determine what or who caused Yearby's death, according to the complaint.
David Yearby Yearby's attorney, Gregg Zeff of Mount Laurel, said at the press conference that instead of getting care the mentally ill are "getting beaten and put into jails and prisons."
Yearby, 27, disappeared from the apartment he shared with his brother on Oct. 31, 2014, according to the complaint.
He suffered from a mental condition that required medical treatment, the complaint said, adding when his family discovered he was arrested by Piscataway police for assaulting two officers, his family "was relieved."
Neither the mother nor the attorney would reveal what Yearby's mental illness was.
The complaint said David's sister notified police about his condition and the need for mental health treatment, but "instead of treatment, they took him to (the county jail)."
"No one at the Piscataway Police Department informed officials at (the county jail) of Yearby's mental condition or need for mental health attention," the lawsuit said.
Veronica Yearby said she blames Piscataway police the most for her son's death because "they should have listened to my daughter and gotten him the help he needed."
"He was a very good person, a very good kid," Yearby said, crying. "He wouldn't hurt anybody. He was so funny. He didn't like to see me sad. He didn't deserve this."
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.