Man dies after fight with deputies

A man, 32, died in custody after fighting with and injuring at least two sheriff’s deputies in an unincorporated area of South Los Angeles late Friday, authorities said.

Deputies tried to arrest the man, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, after an 11 p.m. report of a disturbance in the 1300 block of East 70th Street, but he fought them, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Hernandez.

Deputies handcuffed him and put him in the back seat of a patrol car, where he started kicking, Hernandez said. The man had trouble breathing, lost consciousness and was removed from the car to be treated by paramedics, he said.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. At least two deputies were also injured and taken to a hospital, Hernandez said.

A coroner’s spokeswoman declined to identify the man, pending notification of relatives. The cause of death was unknown.

-- Tony Barboza