By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A POLICE forensic toxicologist testified yesterday that Azario Major was under the influence of alcohol when he died but had no illegal drugs in his system.
A psychiatrist, meanwhile, testified that Major received counselling and treatment for cannabis and cocaine use and was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.
Inspector Cyprian Collie said samples sent to a Miami Dade County examiner in September 2022 found 0.79mg of ethanol in Major’s blood, indicating he was under the influence of alcohol.
His testimony came as the Coroner’s Court inquest into Major’s December 26, 2021, police-involved killing continued yesterday. Sergeant Sweeting, Sergeant Rolle, Inspector Saunders, and Sergeant Johnson are the officers said to be involved in the shooting at Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road.
Inspector Collie said the results show Major had four to five drinks and was in the “excitement stage of alcohol influence” with potential cognitive impairment.
She said Major might have had enough alcohol to behave more aggressively or irrationally.
Dr Soralee Ferguson-Parker, the clinical director and consulting psychiatrist at the Community Counseling & Assessment Centre (CCAC), testified that Major attended counselling at the facility from July 8, 2016, to October 18, 2021.
She said the deceased initially came with his father, who believed he suffered from hallucinations and talked to himself. His father attributed this to his marijuana use.
Dr Ferguson-Parker said during the 16 sessions Major had at the CCAC, he received treatment for cannabis and cocaine use. She also said that Major sometimes suffered from cannabis-induced psychosis.
Major was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and was said to have depressive or hyper-manic episodes.
“During counselling, Mr Major admitted to symptoms of racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping and auditory hallucinations, which he experienced a few nights prior to the visit,” she said.
Major was prescribed 10mg of Olanzapine and 10mg of melatonin to help him sleep. In December 2020, he went to Sandilands to indicate that he had stopped taking his medication and was advised to continue with the treatment.
Responding to David Cash, who represents the interests of Major’s family, Dr Ferguson-Parker agreed that the man’s family was involved in his counselling.
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