A Baltimore man died after being sedated and restrained by medics. His mom wants answers

When Trea Ellinger left a Baltimore drug rehab facility last summer, he assured his anxious mother that everything was fine. He had his medications and was planning to meet up with his girlfriend.

When Trea Ellinger left a Baltimore drug rehab facility last summer, he assured his anxious mother that everything was fine. He had his medications and was planning to meet up with his girlfriend. By the following afternoon, he was dead — not from the violence his mom feared he might face, but because he didn’t survive an encounter with first responders in downtown Baltimore. Ellinger, 29, died after being sedated and restrained. Despite repeated comments from police and medics at the scene acknowledging the dangers of lying face down in the prone position, responders failed to act urgently when the handcuffed Ellinger turned onto his stomach and remained that way for several minutes, according to investigators and experts. His death adds to a list of similar cases. A recent investigation led by The Associated Press found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years. The strategy, which was intended to reduce violence and save lives, has resulted in some avoidable deaths. In Ellinger’s case, the autopsy determined that he died from overdosing on an antidepressant and methadone, which is commonly prescribed to curb opioid cravings. The findings didn’t say if other factors might have contributed to his death. His mother, Lori Ellinger, questions the autopsy’s findings and wants to know why paramedics decided to use an injectable sedative.