Instead, the 40-year-old fears her husband’s death is related to a lawsuit he filed against the local police department in February. Dennoriss Richardson, who coached children in baseball and football, claimed that he was attacked, denied medical attention, sprayed with tear gas and shocked with a stun gun while in prison.

Leigh Richardson said she did not blame anyone in particular but was confident her husband did not kill himself.

He is not alone in his belief. The widespread skepticism surrounding Richardson’s death underscores the deep-rooted distrust of local law enforcement in Colbert County. In an area where hangings evoke a long history of state-sanctioned lynchings of black people, county residents allege excessive use of force by local law enforcement.

Confirming that the FBI had accepted the investigation request, Sheriff Eric Balentine said his department had “exhausted all resources” in the investigation.

“We’re confident about what our findings are, but we think we can give the family more peace of mind by doing this,” Balentine said.

A spokesman for the FBI’s field office in Birmingham confirmed that the FBI was aware of the death of Dennoriss Richardson and was reviewing allegations of criminal misconduct.

Tori Bailey, president of the local NAACP chapter and the only Black member of the six-person county commission in Colbert County, said the community’s reaction to Richardson’s death was motivated in part by the county’s harrowing history of lynchings.

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, a criminal justice reform nonprofit, 359 lynchings were reported in Alabama between 1877 and 1943. There were 11 in Colbert County alone.

Even if there’s nothing to those accusations, Bailey said it makes sense for the community to react “viscerally” to the hanging of a Black man and call for a more thorough investigation. He said he documented and investigated many cases of excessive force in the county during his 12 years as NAACP president while some police officers tried to do the right thing.

“There’s been sort of a disconnect between communities of color and law enforcement for a long time. Unfortunately, most of us don’t think that law enforcement is actually there to serve and protect,” Bailey said.

Marvin Long, a 57-year-old Black man and lifelong Colbert County resident, knew Dennoriss Richardson’s family had grown up well. He himself shares doubts about the decision to commit suicide and said Richardson’s death increased his fear of retaliation.

“To this day, I hate seeing a police car,” Long said. “I’m more scared now than ever.”

Long filed a lawsuit against the Sheffield Police Department last year. After asking about an unrelated arrest taking place just outside his property in 2021, body camera footage shows officers following Long to his home, dragging him down the porch stairs and unleashing a police K9 on him as he screamed for help. Long was unarmed, according to the complaint.

Richardson and Long are among five Black and Latino men represented by civil rights attorney Roderick Van Daniel, who filed suit against the department in recent years.

“Citizens live in fear of retaliation,” Van Daniel said.

In one case, an off-duty Sheffield police officer was caught on surveillance video punching and pulling a gun on a Black man at a liquor store. The officer was later found guilty of assault, menacing and reckless endangerment. He was fired from the directorate.

In a separate case, a 57-year-old chiropractor claimed he was tasered 18 times while handcuffed after asking an officer to help him find his wife’s iPhone. Photos on the dress show many large burn marks allegedly resulting from the attack.

Sheffield Police Department did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails seeking comment. Lawyers for the officers named in the ongoing lawsuits did not respond to emails.

Balentine, sheriff since 2023, declined to comment on specific cases. But he said he thinks Colbert County residents generally trust law enforcement, based on his nearly 30 years as an officer in the area.

“If it proves to be excessive, then I’m sure there will be accountability,” he said.

Still, Balentine said he hopes the FBI investigation will help alleviate concerns.

“Transparency is always a good way to mend some fences with society,” he said.

Leigh Richardson had known her husband since she was 17. She remembers Dennoriss, affectionately known as “Na-Na”, as a warm father to his five children. But he also said that fear of police is not new.

“He was scared at that young age,” Richardson said.

Richardson said that after she filed the lawsuit, her husband was frequently stopped by police. During those months, he was “trying to get out of the way,” he said.

Sheffield Mayor Steve Stanley said Dennoriss Richardson had come into his office at least once and expressed concerns that she was being profiled. Stanley said he assured Richardson that any officers who reported through official channels would be investigated.

The Sheffield Police Department would not confirm whether or how often the department checked in on Richardson.

Court records show Dennoriss Richardson has a long history of run-ins with local law enforcement, but most of the charges in federal and state courts do not stand.

Dennoriss Richardson pleaded guilty to drug possession in 2006 and was sentenced to five years in prison. In the more than 15 years since then, court records show Richardson was arrested at least six more times by the Sheffield Police Department on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to robbery and assault.

None of these charges resulted in a conviction, except for a traffic violation related to expired tags, according to available court records.

The same week that Richardson filed a lawsuit against the department, he was charged with drug trafficking. He was detained at the house where drugs were allegedly found. Richardson was out on bail when he died.

Stanley said he absolutely supports holding officers accountable for abuses, but underlined his great confidence in them.

“I have preached, and I believe at least the majority of officers recognize that everyone deserves respect,” Stanley said.

Still, uncertainty prevails in society amid the looming investigation.

In early October, Richardson’s friends and family filled the pews at the small Trinity Memorial Funeral Home to commemorate his life. Songs and sermons were punctuated with calls for justice.

Richardson’s attorney, Van Daniel, said on the stand that Richardson “believes in transparency and accountability.” He spoke out against police abuses.”

A steady chorus of “amens” could be heard from the crowd as Van Daniel spoke.

“His family and the Sheffield community deserve answers,” he said. “We deserve answers.”

This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the U.S. national suicide and crisis lifeline by calling or texting 988.