Man dies in police custody in Seattle's Georgetown neighbourhood

A man lost consciousness and died in police custody Saturday evening in Seattle's Georgetown neighbourhood. An independent investigation team has taken over the case.

Death in police custody triggers independent inquiry in Seattle

An independent investigative body is probing the death of a man who lost consciousness while in police custody on Saturday evening in Seattle's Georgetown neighbourhood, fox13seattle.com reports.

The Independent Force Investigation Team–King County (IFIT-KC) assumed control of the investigation into the incident, which took place at approximately 8:17 p.m. in the 6000 block of Airport Way South, according to a departmental press release.

Officers had initially responded to reports of a person lying on the sidewalk. The man was unable to speak coherently or take care of himself, prompting officers to escort him to a nearby police vehicle. He was seated in front of the vehicle without handcuffs, and emergency medical personnel were called to assess his condition.

While waiting for medics, the man dropped to the ground and began rolling across the roadway. Officers then placed him in handcuffs. Shortly after being restrained, the man lost consciousness.

First responders performed lifesaving measures at the scene, but the man could not be resuscitated and was declared dead. His identity has not been released by authorities.

The press release did not specify which agency had placed the man in custody. IFIT-KC stated it will issue weekly public updates on the case until the investigation is concluded. Further media inquiries are being directed to Public Information Officer Drew Anderson.

Source: Google News GY — Georgetown