Independent Autopsy Finds Brianna Grier Died of Severe Head Trauma After Falling From Moving Georgia Police Car, Family Says

ATLANTA, GA — An independent autopsy ordered by her family found that Brianna Grier died from a severe blunt force injury to the head after she fell from a moving police car in Georgia, according to findings announced by a pathologist at a Monday press conference.

Grier, 28, died six days after the July 15 arrest that left her in a coma. Family members and their attorney said they want answers about how a handcuffed woman ended up falling out of the vehicle and why the rear door was open during transport.

Family's autopsy points to violent head trauma

Dr. Allecia Wilson, a pathologist and director of autopsy and forensic services at the University of Michigan, said the cause of death was consistent with severe blunt force trauma inside the head. She announced the preliminary findings on behalf of Grier’s family.

Wilson said medical records from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta showed Grier suffered two fractures, hemorrhaging and a subdural hematoma after the fall. Those injuries, she said, matched the kind of force that can occur in a violent impact.

The family’s autopsy was separate from the official examination being conducted as part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s review. That state autopsy is still pending.

How deputies say Grier fell from the vehicle

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office deputies Lt. Marlin Primus and Timothy Legette arrested Grier after her mother called 911 to report a mental health crisis. Grier was handcuffed in front of her body and was not wearing a seatbelt, the agency said.

The GBI said Grier fell out of the rear passenger door because it had not been closed before the car was moved toward the sheriff’s office. The agency has said a deputy believed he had shut the door before driving away.

The incident happened on July 15. Grier died six days later from the injuries she sustained.

Body camera video raises more questions than answers

Body camera footage released in late July shows officers struggling to place Grier in the back seat of the patrol car. The 10-minute clip does not show the moment she came out of the vehicle.

In the video, one deputy can be heard asking, “How is your back door open?” after Grier is seen lying in the road. The footage has become a central piece of the family’s push for a fuller explanation of what happened during the transport.

Authorities have not said that the video settles the sequence of events. Instead, the recording appears to capture the aftermath, not the fall itself.

Attorney Ben Crump presses for accountability

Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said the circumstances point to a dangerous failure to secure a handcuffed person inside a police car. He argued that the autopsy and the available video make clear that Grier suffered catastrophic trauma in the fall.

Crump also said the family has continued to seek answers for Grier’s children, 3-year-old twins Maria and Mariah. He said Grier was in a mental health crisis and had not committed a crime.

At the press conference, Crump called for transparency and said the family wants to know what happened to a young mother who should have been protected rather than harmed during police custody.

Parents say they still have not explained her death to her twins

Grier’s parents, Marvin Grier and Mary Grier, spoke publicly about the pain of trying to make sense of the death while also caring for their grandchildren. They said they still have not been able to explain the tragedy to the twins.

Marvin Grier said the family is still searching for answers so they can eventually tell the children what happened to their mother. Mary Grier said she wants justice and does not want another mother to go through the same thing.

The family’s grief and the unanswered questions surrounding the transport have kept the case in the spotlight as investigators continue their review.

Funeral plans and the ongoing state review

Grier’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday at West Hunter Baptist Church in Atlanta. Family members said they are preparing for that service while still waiting for more information from investigators.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation told ABC News it had no update or comment to provide at this time. The agency’s official autopsy remains pending, and the broader review of the death is still underway.

For Grier’s family, the path forward now includes both mourning and the hope that investigators will explain how a routine custody transfer ended with a fatal fall and a young mother’s death.