ATLANTA — People from Hancock County and more came to say goodbye Thursday as they remember the life of Brianna Grier. She was arrested the morning of July 15 when Hancock County deputies later said she was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. The family informed 13WMAZ that Grier died six days later.
The funeral for Grier was about celebrating a life taken too soon. Her sister, Lottie Grier, couldn't hold back tears as she talked about her sister to people inside West Hunter Street Baptist Church.
"Brianna was a caring, a loving person. She loved her children," Lottie Grier said.
Civil rights activist and minister Rev. Al Sharpton came and he said the two Hancock County deputies who arrested need to be held accountable.
"You job wasn't to get defensive if she wrestled with you. Your job was to bring her for help," Sharpton said.
After GBI completed their investigation, they found that the passenger side door was not closed all the way and that's how the 28-year-old fell out the car. This is after the Marvin and Mary Grier were told Brianna kicked the door open and fell out. Footage 13WMAZ received shows the two deputies did assist and aid her after they realized she was not in the back seat of the cruiser and laying face down on the side of the road. Her father Marvin Grier want answers as to how law enforcement will change.
"It's time for us to stop doing this to our Black women -- not only our Black women, anybody," Marvin Grier said.
Her mother, Mary Grier, was the one who called Hancock County Sheriff's office for help. From previous incident reports 13WMAZ received from their office, if Brianna Grier was having a mental health breakdown, EMS would arrive and take her to the psych unit at Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin. Her mother says she just wants "justice for her murder."
The Grier family isn't full convinced that their daughter died from falling out the back of the cruiser. Their attorney Ben Crump, Al Sharpton, and the rest of the family could take their case to the U.S. Justice Department if they don't get the answers to they want.
Brianna Grier's final resting place will be at Saint Galilee Church in Sparta. The final service is August 12 at 11 a.m. Al Sharpton is also donating $5,000 to a fund for Brianna's two daughters for school.