The New York City Medical Examiner has determined that the death of a man in Manhattan last month was a homicide caused by a "protective body wrap" applied by police.
Gothamist reports that a cab driver summoned a police officer in Manhattan during the early hours of Jul. 13 to explain that his passenger, 45-year-old Ron Singleton, was "acting overly irate and irrational, cursing and screaming and causing alarm." The NYPD detailed the incident in a report:
When the rear passenger exited the taxi, he became combative with the officer, trying to fight with him. The officer radioed for assistance, and a Lieutenant and other officers from Midtown North responded to the location, along with ESU personnel. The male was restrained and placed in a protective body wrap by ESU officers. EMS also responded and began to remove the emotionally disturbed male to Bellevue Hospital as an EDP case. The male went into cardiac arrest while in the ambulance, causing the ambulance to re-direct to Roosevelt Hospital (the closest hospital to the incident location).
Singleton was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital. The city medical examiner's office revealed that although Singleton was on PCP at the time of his death, it was also the result of "physical restraint by police" and a combination of obesity and heart disease.
According to Gothamist, the NYPD said they will cooperate with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's investigation into Singleton's death.
[via Gothamist]
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