Accident or homicide? Medical rulings in arrest-related deaths can dictate what happens to police

Sitting alone in her car, Jen Dold was crying too hard to drive. “No sweeping it under the rug.” Jen Dold, whose brother, Alex Dold, lived with schizophrenia and died after a 2017 encounter with sheriff’s deputies and police officers, sits for a portrait at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Jen Dold, whose brother, Alex Dold, lived with schizophrenia and died after a 2017 encounter with sheriff’s deputies and police officers, sits for a portrait at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print In the United States, police rarely face criminal charges when civilians die after officers use physical force. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner building is pictured Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Everett, Wash. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Seeking an ally, she contacted Snohomish County’s chief medical examiner, and was relieved when Dr. Daniel Selove told her by phone that he’d weigh police force. Jen Dold adjusts one of her favorite photos of her brother on her living room shelf at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Jen Dold adjusts one of her favorite photos of her brother on her living room shelf at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Jen Dold, whose brother, Alex Dold, lived with schizophrenia and died after a 2017 encounter with sheriff’s deputies and police officers, stands for a portrait with their mother, Kathy Duncan, left, as they visit a beach he enjoyed, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Jen Dold, whose brother, Alex Dold, lived with schizophrenia and died after a 2017 encounter with sheriff’s deputies and police officers, stands for a portrait with their mother, Kathy Duncan, left, as they visit a beach he enjoyed, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print When a reporter reached Deputy McGee, who resigned within three months of Alex Dold’s death, he said never to call again and hung up. Jen Dold holds a dog tag with her brother’s fingerprint she wears around her neck Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at a favorite beach of his in Edmonds, Wash. Jen Dold holds a dog tag with her brother’s fingerprint she wears around her neck Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at a favorite beach of his in Edmonds, Wash. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Influencing the manner of death While loved ones like Jen Dold want a homicide ruling, powerful institutions may not.