The mother of Lasheiko Pratt, the man who died in police custody, remembers him as hardworking and “sweet.”
She is struggling to make sense of a loss she says has shattered her world.
Pratt, 35, died on Thursday while in police custody at the Fox Hill Police Station, and his death is now under active investigation. For his mother, who asked not to be named, the official process does little to ease the grief of losing her only child.
“He was hardworking, sweet, and quiet,” she said.
Police have confirmed that Pratt had been arrested on a burglary charge two days earlier and was being held at the station. Officers say he was expected to be escorted to court, but reportedly refused to attend. During efforts to persuade him, a struggle ensued involving multiple officers. At some point during the interaction, Pratt became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.
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Authorities have indicated that the matter remains under investigation.
Outside of the police station and beyond the circumstances now under review, those who knew Pratt remember him as a man who worked hard.
“He was a cool brother,” said Raymond Cunningham, who knew Pratt through work at the City Dump site. “Always a good help when he was working.”
Another acquaintance, Sheye Davis, said he last saw Pratt just days before his death. “We just was chilling,” Davis recalled. “ [A] cool brother.”
Pratt’s mother said she was allowed to view her son’s body. What she saw has stayed with her.
“He looked like he was sleeping,” she said. “There were no bruises.”
She told Our News that she believes there is more to understand about what happened, answers she hopes the ongoing investigation will provide.
Pratt was employed with the Ministry of Works and was known for his love of mechanics. “He was the best mechanic,” his mother said, through her grief.
Investigators are working to determine the full sequence of events as Pratt’s family is left waiting.