Portsmouth Council Rejects Mother's Wrongful Death Claim

The Portsmouth Town Council has rejected a wrongful death claim filed by the attorney of Brenda Raposa, the mother of the late Craig Raposa. 

The council voted unanimously to reject payment of the claim Monday night, reports The Portsmouth Times. The mother's attorney claims Portsmouth police "wrongfully" placed Craig Raposa into protective custody on the day of his death, according to a letter sent to the town. 

Raposa, 25, a Portsmouth native and graduate of Portsmouth High School, died on Feb. 3, 2012 of cardiac arrest following an altercation with Portsmouth police, in which pepper spray was used. 

His mother, Brenda Raposa of Portsmouth, blamed authorities for the death of her son, who suffered from a mental illness.

A grand jury later determined that the actions by the officers were lawful and legally justified. 

Craig graduated from Portsmouth High School in 2004 as an all-star athlete in football and baseball. He worked at Clements' Market while attending high school and Bristol Community College. 

The wrongful death claim will now be referred to the town's insurer, according to The Portsmouth Times. 

The agenda item, regarding the wrongful death claim for Craig Raposa, was published as "Request for Denial of Claim and Referral to Insurer." The agenda item was given five minutes for discussion, according to the agenda.