A coalition of community leaders, elected officials, military veterans, local Democratic Party officials and friends of Gregory Lloyd Edwards, the U.S. Army combat veteran who died last year after a confrontation at the Brevard County Jail, gathered Tuesday outside the Brevard medical examiner's office, demanding a new investigation of the in-custody death.

Edwards was arrested after allegedly assaulting a man in an apparent agitated state related to his Post-traumatic stress disorder, on the morning of December 9, 2018, in the parking lot of the West Melbourne Walmart.

Within a few hours, Edwards would be rushed with no pulse to the hospital from the jail after a fight with a corrections officer during the booking process escalated to involve as many as seven other deputies who beat, pepper-sprayed, tased and cuffed Edwards before securing him in a restraint chair with a spit hood over his head. He was pronounced dead the next day.

Benny Jackson, a minister with the south Brevard NAACP told a news conference that "it's no coincidence" that Edwards died after such treatment. "The bottom line ... Edwards should still be alive today," Jackson said.

Edwards' death was ruled an accident by the Brevard Medical Examiner due to "excited delirium," a controversial diagnosis often linked to in-custody deaths. The cause and manner of death came under scrutiny by Dr. Stephen J. Nelson, the chair of the FDLE's Medical Examiners Commission and the chief medical examiner for the 10th medical examiner district.

More:Top medical examiner doubts Army veteran's death in Brevard jail was an accident

More:Excited delirium: Rare and deadly syndrome or a condition to excuse deaths by police?

FLORIDA TODAY provided Nelson with the autopsy and related records for evaluation. Nelson questioned the excited delirium conclusion and the accident ruling.

“I'd want to know more about why somebody is calling [a death after] an interaction with law enforcement an accident. When if in fact that same interaction between you and I, I would think they would call homicide," he previously told FLORIDA TODAY.

On July 1, State Attorney Phil Archer cleared all deputies of criminal wrongdoing. His decision was based on the BCSO's internal investigation and the medical examiner's report.

"In the wake of the tragic death of US Army veteran Gregory Lloyd Edwards at the Brevard county jail, we want for his widow (Kathleen) Holly Edwards, and for their children, what we would want for our own families: we want her to know with as much certainty as possible what happened to the man that she loves. We want justice. We want our community to stand together to make policy changes that might help to prevent further tragedies," said Brevard Democratic Party Chairwoman Stacey Patel, speaking at the front entrance of the Brevard Medical Examiner's Office.

Patel, emphasizing that the issues surrounding the combat veteran's death were non-partisan, outlined five specific demands being made by the coalition:

1. A re-evaluation of the Edwards' autopsy by the local medical examiner and a review by the Medical Examiners Commission

2. An external investigation by a third party such as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

3. The release of presently public-records exempt video footage from within the County Jail that captured the incident.

4. State legislation that would require external investigations into deaths or serious injuries at the hands of law enforcement.

5. An avoidance of the use of the term 'excited delirium'

The office of Brevard Medical Examiner Sajid Qaiser was not immediately available for comment.

Todd Brown, the spokesman for State Attorney Phil Archer, in an email wrote "we are always sensitive to the concerns of our community and listen carefully to every voice and point of view. We are open to any conversation that provides better understanding or seeks to develop more productive partnerships."

Tod Goodyear, the spokesman for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office provided the following statement to FLORIDA TODAY:

“Sheriff Wayne Ivey and the members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office remain unwavering in our commitment to protect our citizens and community!! It is our belief that “it takes a community to protect a community” as we all work together to keep Brevard County a safe place to call home!!”

More:Excited delirium: Rare and deadly syndrome or a condition to excuse deaths by police?

"All of us as veterans deserve proper care (and) sensitivity to mental health," said US Army Col. (ret.) Joe Murray, representing the Brevard Democratic Veterans Caucus, emphasizing that Edwards' death highlighted a problem in how law enforcement responds to mental health crises involving veterans.

"We can no longer accept public officials not being sensitive to that situation; that the appropriate policies, and the appropriate care, be executed in the course of your duties," he said, going on to call upon Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey to reverse his 2017 decision to only conduct internal investigations of in-custody deaths.

"Our law enforcement officer have a very tough job, our soldiers have a very tough job, and it requires high standards in execution," Murray said.

Randy Foster, a retired US Marshall who in his career was responsible for supervising inmates in a cell block and has experience applying force, including restraint chairs, said that as an expert witness he often sees 'excited delirium' being used as an excuse for in-custody deaths.

"Let me tell you something about law enforcement: when someone is in your custody, you're responsible for their care, their safety," he said.

Representatives of all three Brevard NAACP chapters were present in addition to Cocoa City councilman Alex Goins and Cocoa Mayor Jake Williams, a US Air Force veteran.

"This is not about party. This is about accountability," said Williams.

Melissa Martin, a retired US Marine Corps Judge Advocate and spokeswoman for the Brevard Democrats, spoke on the need for independent review.

"The (Department of Defense) would never allow a death at the hands of one unit to be internally investigated and closed by that same unit. It's an unheard of practice at least to me," she said, adding that given Edwards' autopsy being questioned "everything is now in question. The (BCSO) internal investigation, the medical examination, even the (state) attorney's legal review, are all under due scrutiny," she said.

Alberta Wilson head of the local chapter of the National Congress of Black Women, made an appeal to compassion and for "the truth of what actually occurred here to come to light."

"As a black mother, grandmother. I remember thinking, something is very wrong with this picture.This was not handled correctly, to say the least," she said.

This story was updated to include responses from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the State Attorney's Office.

Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon is a watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact him at 321-355-8144, or asassoon@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @alemzs