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The father of former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr. says his son may have been going through a manic episode days before he was arrested in western Alabama and later died in police custody.
Glenn Foster, Sr. told CNN he spoke to his son on the phone days before his death and said the former New Orleans Saints player was acting strangely.
"You could tell he was not his normal self," Foster Sr. told the news organization, adding that Glenn Foster Jr. had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had a manic episode in college. NOLA.com reported Foster Jr. had been diagnosed when he was 20 years old.
"He was in mental distress. We could see he was not in the best frame of mind, and we indicated that to the police," Foster Sr. said, regarding the conversation he had with Reform, Alabama Police Chief Richard Black last weekend following his son's arrest.
Foster Jr. was arrested Saturday (December 4) after police said he was driving at 90 mph in a 45 mph zone, and led them on a high-speed chase. He was charged with reckless endangerment, attempting to elude, and resisting arrest.
The former Saint was headed to Atlanta for a business trip, his father told The Washington Post.
When his family received a call about his arrest, Foster Sr. told authorities about his mental health condition, Foster Sr. said. The police chief told NOLA.com they called Foster's family because of his erratic behavior and set up arrangements to have him bailed out to get evaluated at a hospital.
Foster Sr. said the family got to the jail on December 5 to transport Foster Jr to a nearby medical center for treatment. But when they got there, they were told Foster Jr. had been involved in "an altercation" with another inmate at the jail and was placed into the custody of the Sheriff's office.
The family was told they couldn't visit Foster Jr. because of Covid-19 restrictions.
"The sheriff, after the altercation in the jail, said he's not going anywhere," Foster Sr. told CNN. "I think my son would be alive today if he received the treatment he needed."
Foster Jr. was to be transported to another medical facility on Monday (December 6) and had apparently gotten into the patrol car without any problems. But when he got to the medical center, Foster Jr. was unresponsive and could not be revived.
"He arrived to his death," Foster Sr. said. "I don't know what happened with him physically while he was in the jail because they wouldn't let us see him."
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into Foster Jr.'s death.
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
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