Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano described the events of Jan. 5 as a "horrible tragedy" and said she "deferred to the family's wishes to keep the video private until they were ready."

"Our officers removed Mr. Sutherland from his cell that morning in order to ensure that he received a timely bond hearing, as required by law," Graziano said in a statement. "Their efforts were complicated by the increasing effects that Mr. Sutherland was suffering as a result of mental illness. This unfortunate tragedy has revealed an opportunity to review existing policies."

A lawyer for Sutherland's family, Mark Peper, said on Friday, "People with mental health issues are entitled to the same exact civil rights as you and me and every other healthy, wealthy person in this world."

Peper said Sutherland's "last question on this earth" was "what is the meaning of this?"

"We will answer this question," Peper said.

Fighting back tears, Amy Sutherland, Jamal's mother, told the media Friday she was proud of her son.

"Mentally ill, still able to say, ‘Thank you, Jesus, take care of me,’" she said. "I want y’all to know Jamal was a great man. He had faults like everybody else, but he was a great man.

"I don't want any violence in my city," she continued. "I want us to view this tape and I want us to learn what we don't want happening here."