PHOENIX — After nearly four years, the family of a man who died while restrained in a jail cell in Phoenix will receive a settlement of $4 million from county officials.

This decision comes in response to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family of 31-year-old Akeem Terrell, who passed away during interactions with law enforcement. The lawsuit alleged that police used excessive force during Terrell’s arrest while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

According to the suit, Terrell was taken into custody after he displayed signs of distress at a New Year’s Day gathering in 2021 and refused to leave the premises. It was reported that as many as seven police officers were involved in physically restraining Terrell in a jail isolation cell as they altered his handcuffs.

The Terrell family claims that body camera footage revealed officers exiting the cell after the struggle, leaving him motionless and facedown on the floor. The legal complaint also stated that there was a significant delay in obtaining medical assistance for Terrell, who stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 433 pounds. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to comments made by Jesse Showalter, an attorney for the family.

The lawsuit highlighted Terrell’s history of mental illness, indicating that he had been expressing paranoid thoughts prior to his apprehension.

Recently, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved the settlement unanimously, amounting to $4.05 million for Terrell’s family. Earlier, the Phoenix City Council had also voted in favor of a separate settlement of $800,000 related to the police officers’ actions that contributed to Terrell’s death, with the vote being 8-1.

As of now, the county Sheriff’s Office has not responded to inquiries regarding the ongoing situation being related to Terrell’s case.