2 high school basketball coaches face murder charges after player dies of heatstroke
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Back in August of 2019, 16-year-old junior basketball player Imani Bell died of heat stroke following a practice in the Atlanta area that featured outdoor conditioning drills.
Bell was taking part in an outdoor team practice when the heat index in the area was as high as 103. The team was doing drills outside despite a county warning that said no sports or club teams should be outside due to the excessive heat.
The girl’s father, Eric Bell, filed a lawsuit against Clayton County, Georgia. Meanwhile, coaches Larosa Maria Walker-Asekere and Dwight Broom Palmer now face charges of second-degree murder, cruelty to children and involuntary manslaughter, per a report from CBS News.
Eric Bell described the horrific scene at the hospital where his daughter died:
“Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. How could this happen?” said her father, Eric Bell. He said E.R. doctors revived his daughter twice.
“The body was so hot that it went right back into cardiac arrest,” Eric Bell said. “I was actually in the room, and you know, that’s not a memory I’ll ever forget.”
Bell was climbing stadium stairs as part of the conditioning workout when she started to struggle, according to the report. An autopsy revealed that she died of heatstroke (hyperthermia).
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
