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Anton Black's Death in Police Custody Roils Community

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GREENSBORO, Md. (AP) - A black man's death in police custody has roiled a rural town on Maryland's Eastern Shore and left a grief-stricken family yearning for answers to their lingering questions.

Anton Black's relatives aren't satisfied by the conclusions of a county prosecutor, who announced in January that he isn't pursuing criminal charges in Black's September 2018 death.

A body camera video captured the 19-year-old struggling with three officers and a civilian outside his family's home in Greensboro. An autopsy report says Black's congenital heart condition, mental illness and stress from the struggle likely contributed to his death. The state's chief medical examiner ruled it accidental.

Family members are calling for a federal investigation and appealing for help from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who already has expressed a personal interest in the case.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.