SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man acting erratically in his Cortez Hill neighborhood apartment died at a hospital after San Diego police took him into custody, authorities said Saturday.
Dispatchers received a call at about 11:48 p.m. Friday about a possible drug overdose at an apartment in the 1400 block of Second Avenue, according to Lt. Andra Brown of the San Diego Police Department.
Officers arrived at the apartment and contacted a 32-year-old man, Brown said.
"The man was causing a disturbance, had been in an altercation with another resident and was exhibiting signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance," Brown said. "Medical personnel were called to evaluate the man. Due to the man's erratic behavior, an officer rode in the ambulance with the male."
While being transported to a local hospital, the man went into medical distress and life-saving measures were administered by paramedics and the officer, Brown said. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital, she said.
Because the man was in police custody at the time of his death, detectives from the homicide unit were assigned to investigate the incident.
"The investigators are conducting a thorough investigation into the facts surrounding the man's death," Brown said. "The medical examiner will determine the cause of death."
The male has been identified but his identity has not immediately been released, police said.
"The names of the officers who contacted the male are not being released at this time," Brown said. "However, they have been with the department for five years and 18 months."
When the homicide unit completes its investigation, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office to determine whether the officers bear any criminal liability, Brown said. The Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an investigation to determine if there were any policy violations, she said, and the Community Review Board on Police Practices will also conduct a review of the incident.
