Van Nuys man dies in police custody

Ryan Carter

A Van Nuys man arrested by police died in a local hospital after

collapsing in the Burbank City Jail during an alleged combative

exchange with officers.

Daniel James Bryan, 40, died at Providence St. Joseph Medical

Center on Sunday afternoon after refusing to be fingerprinted at the

Police Department’s booking facility.

The coroner’s office had not determined the cause of his death by

Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, Bryan was arrested on suspicion of

resisting arrest and possessing a small amount of methamphetamine as

well as pictures of nude children, Police Sgt. John Dilibert said.

Bryan was arrested in the 3000 block of West Magnolia Boulevard.

“Bryan became uncooperative,” Dilibert said. “A struggle ensued

and he started pushing officers away.”

Eventually, Bryan was handcuffed. Police said Bryan appeared to

have ingested a small amount of methamphetamine at the scene.

Because officers were concerned Bryan had diabetes, he was taken

to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, where a doctor cleared him

for booking, police said.

Several times during booking, Bryan feigned he was collapsing,

Dilibert said.

.Police continued to try to fingerprint Bryan, who collapsed

again. But this time, he did not get up. He was transported back to

the hospital, where he died.

An internal use-of-force review of the incident is pending and the

case was referred to the county district attorney’s office for

outside investigation.