No Physical Injury in Death After Tackling by Officers

An autopsy performed on a 30-year-old San Diego man who died in custody Friday evening after being tackled by police revealed no sign of traumatic injuries, a deputy coroner said Saturday.

No cause of death was determined for Terrence Warren, who stopped breathing shortly after he was brought down by two officers following a footrace through downtown San Diego.

Deputy Coroner Chuck Bolton said the cause of Warren’s death will not be known until blood and tissue studies are conducted to determine whether alcohol or drugs were present in his body. But there were no observable injuries that could be linked to his death, Bolton said.

Warren, who lived in the 4100 block of 49th Street, was picked up by Officers Perry L. Hooper and Donald J. Dolezal about 4:15 p.m. Friday for lying drunk in the street, police said.

The officers took Warren to an alcohol detoxification center at 1100 Island St., but when Warren became combative with staff members, the center refused to accept him. When the two officers tried to handcuff him, he broke free and ran, police said.

The officers tackled Warren in the 500 block of 11th Avenue and handcuffed him, police said.

Shortly afterward, Warren stopped breathing. The officers administered CPR to Warren, who was taken to Physicians & Surgeons Hospital. Warren was pronounced dead there at 6:15 p.m., police said.