REFORM, Ala. — A federal judge has determined that the family of Glenn Foster Jr., a former NFL player who died while in custody of law enforcement in Alabama, can move forward with their lawsuit claiming his death resulted from excessive force.
Foster, who played as a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, passed away on December 6, 2021, just three days after his arrest in Pickens County, where he was charged with speeding and attempting to evade police authorities.
Following his arrest, a judge mandated that Foster undergo a mental health evaluation at a medical facility located in Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately, he was found unresponsive upon arrival at the facility and was pronounced dead approximately thirty minutes later.
His widow, Pamela Foster, initiated legal action against both the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the jail personnel, claiming that her husband was subjected to physical abuse, including being beaten, shocked with a Taser, and strangled during his time at the jail. The defendants subsequently requested that a federal judge dismiss the allegations.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon declined to dismiss the claims related to excessive force as well as the failure to intervene, although she did dismiss other aspects of the lawsuit. This ruling occurred just a day before the third anniversary of Foster’s tragic death.
Foster’s NFL career included participation in 17 games with the Saints during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
