We’ve been following the tragic death of Widespread Panic fan Troy Goode since his death while being taken into custody at what would have been his 150th time seeing the band in Mississippi on July 18, 2015. A new autopsy report places the blame squarely on the actions of the police who apprehended him. Goode died after a series of policy violations by local police, EMS workers, and doctors led to his dying while in police custody earlier this year according to an independent medical teams autopsy finding. Â
Far from the surmised cause of death, an overdose, originally put forth by the Southhaven, Mississippi , police, the new findings posit that the death was in fact caused by cardiac arrhythmia, the result of being hog-tied for an hour after being set upon by dogs. Attorneys say Goode was not aggressive to police, but an officer ordered a dog to attack Goode and an officer shot him with a taser. Goode was an asthmatic, and being held for so long in a prone, restrained position. Though Goode had admitted to taking LSD, the treatment he received at the hands of officers who are sworn to protect and serve showed them doing anything but their duty.
Toxicology Reports Prove ‘LSD Overdose’ Did Not Kill Widespread Panic Fan Troy Goode
Police stayed with Goode in the ambulance but the new report claims the ambulance never turned on their lights. Goode was then not seen by a doctor for 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital. The first time he was unshackled was after he was coded by the doctors at the hospital.
In the wake of these new findings, the family is planning civil action, while, hopefully, the state of Mississippi is hopefully planning on looking into criminal charges for the negligent behavior that led to the death of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him. A fund has been started in his name to help his widow and child that is taking donations HERE. In an age where public mistrust in the police is nearing crisis stages across the country, examples like this of callous disregard for the safety and well being of those under their jurisdiction only reinforces the need to start seriously thinking of reworking the training, oversight and hiring policies these departments use.