A North Alabama family is seeking justice after their son died in custody.

Paulette Tennison filed a lawsuit on behalf of her son, John Scott Jr. Scott, 39, died in April 2025 after slipping into a coma following a 30-minute encounter with Decatur police.

Tennison made the original call to police on April 15 to report her son was having a mental health crisis. Scott was arrested and transported to Decatur City Jail and later taken to Huntsville Hospital, where he died a week later after falling into a coma.

Tennison’s wrongful death lawsuit was filed Aug. 29 against the City of Decatur, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Priceville and multiple individual officers.

The 109-page lawsuit contains 30 counts against the defendants, including excessive force, allegations of civ

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