Man Sprayed, Stunned by Police Dies

A Hollywood man who reportedly suffered from both AIDS and diabetes died shortly after Los Angeles police pepper-sprayed him and stunned him twice with a Taser gun when he attacked officers, a police spokesman said Sunday.

Spokesman Don Cox said the identity of the man who died Saturday continued to be withheld Sunday because it was not confirmed that his next of kin had been notified.

The incident occurred after officers went to an east Hollywood apartment Saturday afternoon up on receiving a report of a violent man, Cox said. When they arrived, the police spokesman said, they found a bleeding man, about 30 years old, ripping apart bathroom fixtures and holding a pair of scissors. When he lunged at officers, they used pepper spray and then the Taser gun to take him into custody, Cox said.

After he was subdued, police noticed that the man was having difficulty breathing and called paramedics, Cox said. An autopsy will be performed by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office to determine the cause of death.