Teen Dies At Basketball Practice; Coaches Charged With Murder And Child Cruelty

Two coaches in Clayton County, Georgia, have been charged with murder after a 16-year-old basketball player died during practice nearly two years ago.

A grand jury indicted Larosa Maria Walker-Asekere and Dwight Broom Palmer with second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty over the death of Elite Scholars Academy student Imani Bell, local newspaper The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported.

The two coaches have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, according to the outlet.

Bell reportedly collapsed and died on Aug. 13, 2019, while doing outdoor basketball drills at the school as the heat index shot up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

Attorneys claimed that the practice was approved by the school and supervised by the coaches despite a heat advisory being issued for the area of the school on the same date, a report by 11 Alive said.

The temperature during practice was between 96 degrees and 99 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heat index put the temperature at between 101 and 106 degrees Fahrenheit, the Bell family's attorneys claimed.

"Due to the extreme heat and humidity outside, Imani began experiencing early signs of heat illness and was visibly struggling to physically perform the outdoor conditioning drills defendants directed her to perform," the lawsuit read.

"[The coaches] observed Imani experiencing early signs of heat illness during the outdoor practice but nevertheless directed Imani to continue performing the conditioning drills with her team and directed Imani to run up the stadium steps," it continued.

Walker-Asekere and Palmer were allegedly responsible for "conducting outdoor conditioning training for student athletes in dangerous heat, resulting in the death of Imani Bell due to hyperthermia and rhabdomyolysis," the July 1 indictment said.

Bell had no underlying health issues that contributed to her death, as per 11 Alive.

Bell's family also sued the athletic director, principal, assistant principal and other leadership at Elite Scholars Academy, accusing them of negligence in her death, The Charlotte Observer reported.

In a response to the lawsuit connected to Bell's death, Walker-Asekere's attorneys claimed their client "was on her first day as coach of the girls’ basketball team, and she was relying on the direction of the athletic director and Elite Scholars Academy personnel to conduct this conditioning activity."

Palmer was reportedly listed as an assistant basketball coach in the Bell family's lawsuit.

Walker-Asekere and Palmer were arrested in July following an issued indictment, according to 11 Alive. They were both released on $75,000 bond.

It was unclear if the two coaches were still employed by the Clayton County school district.

"Due to pending litigation in this matter, it is the standard practice of Clayton County Public Schools to decline to offer comment," a spokesman for the school district was quoted as saying by the outlet.