The Cuyahoga County Sheriff鈥檚 Department is investigating the May death of a jail detainee as a potential homicide, following a determination by the county medical examiner鈥檚 office.
According to a preliminary autopsy report, there is video showing the detainee, 39-year-old Tasha Grant, having her 鈥渃hest and abdomen against the side of the hospital bed with pressure placed on posterior neck and back.鈥�
Grant died from cardiac arrest 鈥�13 minutes following cessation of restraint,鈥� according to the report.
The cause of death is described as: 鈥淧hysical restraint in the setting of congestive heart failure.鈥� Obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 1 diabetes are listed as contributing factors.
鈥淭he determination of homicide by this office is a medicolegal term and does not imply wrongdoing,鈥� the office鈥檚 spokesperson, Christopher Harris, said in a statement Thursday. 鈥淭hat kind of determination will be addressed in the legal system.鈥�
The report is dated Sept. 23, 2025, more than four months after Grant鈥檚 death.
On May 6, the county released the following statement on Grant鈥檚 death:
鈥淥n May 2, 2025, a 39-year-old female resident of the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center was transported to MetroHealth medical center due to preexisting medical conditions that resulted in a medical emergency. She remained there for treatment and on May 5 at approximately 6:30 p.m. she was pronounced deceased at the hospital. This matter remains under investigation. No additional information is available for release at this time.鈥�
Following the public release of the medical examiner鈥檚 report, the county sent out a similar statement Thursday that read:
鈥淥n May 2, 2025, a 39-year-old female resident of the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center was transported to MetroHealth medical center due to preexisting medical conditions that resulted in a medical emergency. She remained there for treatment and on May 5 at approximately 6:30 p.m. she was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
This matter is now being investigated as a homicide by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff鈥檚 Department.鈥�
Grant was awaiting trial on two cases when she was booked into the jail April 17 - an assault from the Southwest General Hospital Police Department on Sept. 3, 2024, and a vandalism case from the Garfield Heights Police Department on Sept. 12, 2024.
She had been awaiting a mental health evaluation when she was brought to MetroHealth where she died.
