Bipolar ex-New Orleans Saints player Glenn Foster Jr, 31, dies in custody two days after police chase arrest: Parents claim he was denied food, water, medical care and got into fight with guards

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Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Glenn Foster Jr. died in custody on Monday, and his family says he was denied food, water and got into a fight with another detainee and guards.

Foster, 31, was arrested Saturday morning after he was involved in a high-speed chase with police that ended in a crash and a short stint in jail during which he was unable to receive medical help, his family says. 

He was later involved in a fight with a detainee and two guards, and his father, Glenn Foster Sr. said he saw an ambulance arrive at the Pickens County Jail on Monday. 

The elder Foster said he had asked if the ambulance was there for his son, and was told it was at the jail because his son had fought with another detainee and two prison guards.  

Jail records obtained by the Tuscaloosa News show that Foster was charged on Sunday with three counts of simple assault and one count of third degree robbery.

He was accused of being involved in a fight in which he allegedly sought 'to prevent a sheriff's deputy and correctional officer from performing a lawful duty.' 

Foster's father said he later learned that deputies at some point drove his son in a patrol cruiser to a hospital and that he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

His death is now under investigation by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. 

Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Glenn Foster Jr. has died in custody two days after his arrest in Alabama

Foster's parents said that they believe life-saving care wasn't provided for their son, saying he might have experienced a mental health episode (pictured with his mother and sister)

Foster was being held at the Pickens County Jail in Alabama, where he reportedly got into a fight with two prison guards and another detainee

Foster was arrested in Reform, Alabama early Saturday on three charges of reckless endangerment, as well as individual charges of resisting arrest and attempting to elude police.

Police Chief Richard Black told the Daily Beast an officer saw Foster going nearly 50 miles over the speed limit Friday night, and when an officer tried to chase after him, Foster accelerated to 'very high rates of speed.' 

During the chase, Black claimed, Foster drove on the wrong side of the road and nearly hit cars head on.

At one point, he said, deputies from the Pickens County Sheriff's Office became involved. The chase ultimately ended when they reached Gordo, Alabama, where local police deployed spike strips to stop the car.

Foster was then involved in a 'minor tussle' with officers.

'There was no pepper spray, no tasers,' Black claimed. 'It was not an all-out fight.'

By Sunday, Black said he had spoken with Foster's parents, who had arranged to get him out on bond. 

But after Black released Foster from his charges and planned to get him to a hospital for a 'medical intervention,' he said, he found out Foster could not be released because the Pickens County jail had added additional charges. 

Black told the Daily Beast he has 'no idea what happened or what the charges stem from.' 

Foster's mom, center, Sabrina Foster, claims that Foster, pictured with his sister, was denied food, water and medical treatment while in custody

Reform Police Department chief Richard Black said officers spotted Foster driving at speeds up to 90 mph in a 45 mph zone (pictured with his wife Pamela)

The couple had four children, Liana (9), Sofia (6), Malia Ivy (3), and Nadia Sky (16 months)

Foster's parents said that they believe life-saving care wasn't provided for their son, saying he might have experienced a mental health episode.

Before his death, the Tuscaloosa News reports, Foster appeared before Pickens County District Court Judge Samuel W. Junkin, who wrote in court documents that Foster was 'non-compliant and refused to respond to or answer any questions.'

Junkin denied Foster bail, and has said he intended to file an additional order for a mental health evaluation.

Pickens County District Court Judge Samuel W. Junkin denied Foster bail before his death on Monday claiming he was 'not mentally stable'

'Due to information received from law enforcement regarding the defendant's behavior both during the arrest and while being held in county jail, as well as the court's observation of the defendant's mental health during the attempted initial appearance, the court is of the opinion that the defendant is not mentally stable and a danger to himself and others,' Junkin wrote in his order to deny bail.

Foster's parents have said their son has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

They claim he was denied medical treatment, food and water while in custody, with his mother noting telling the Daily Beast: 'We asked them for him to have medical treatment and they denied him for two days. 

'I told them he had not eaten or [had] water and his organs could shut down, and they didn't seem concerned,' she claimed. 

Foster's parents said they had agreed to pay his bail to take him approximately 90 miles to a hospital in Birmingham for his evaluation.

'We want justice for our son,' said the elder Foster Sr. 'It's unfair. It's inhumane. It's just not right.'

The Pickens County Sheriff's Office, where Foster was in custody, referred questions to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation.

The death is under investigation while an autopsy is pending, the Pickens County Medical Examiner and Coroner's Office told WWL.  

Foster was born in Chicago and played college football at Illinois before signing for the Saints

During his playing college football, he recorded eight tackles, three sacks and seven hits

Foster was born in Chicago and played college football at Illinois. An undrafted free agent, he signed with the Saints and appeared in 17 total games over the 2013 and 2014 seasons. 

He recorded eight tackles, three sacks and seven quarterback hits.

The Saints cut him before the 2015 season and he then started a second career as a real estate agent, developer and contractor. 

He owned a countertop business with two retail locations.

'I really can't find the words to properly express,' Foster's former Saints teammate Terron Armstead wrote on Twitter. 'Rest in peace Glenn Foster, you'll be missed bro!'