Suspect dies during struggle with L.A. County sheriff’s deputies attempting to arrest him
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death of a man who collapsed and died after a confrontation with deputies attempting to arrest him.
The man, whose name has not been released, lost consciousness after he was shocked with a Taser and handcuffed by deputies outside of his home in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday afternoon, according to a sheriff’s department news release.
Sheriff’s deputies were searching for the man, who was suspected of criminal activity. They found him in his backyard in the 40,000 block of 176th Street East in Lake Los Angeles, an unincorporated community east of Palmdale.
A sheriff’s spokesman said that although the man was initially cooperative, he suddenly turned and punched a deputy, sending him to the ground. The man then jumped onto the fallen deputy and continued to attack him, the spokesman said.
A second deputy used a Taser on the man. But according to a spokesman, the shock had no effect. The man then turned and tackled the deputy to the ground, the spokesman said. A neighbor intervened and the man was ultimately placed in handcuffs.
Soon after, deputies reportedly noticed the man’s breathing was labored and that he was unresponsive.
They tried to revive him with CPR, as did officials with the fire department, but their efforts were unsuccessful, officials said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of his death remains under investigation. Neighbors told NBC4 that the man was a former Marine who may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Meanwhile, both deputies were taken to a local hospital for treatment and later released.
Twitter: @annamphillips
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