Las Vegas Sun

November 24, 2009

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Man dies while being subdued by officers

Monday, Feb. 18, 2002 | 9:10 a.m.

A family disturbance reported to Metro Police about 2:30 p.m. Saturday turned deadly for a Las Vegas man.

Patrol officers and Clark County Fire Department and AMR paramedics arriving at the 4700 block of East Washington Avenue were met by a man who was described as enraged and who had destroyed the interior of his house, police said.

At least three officers tried to handcuff the man to take him to a hospital for psychological evaluation, but the man pulled away, resulting in a fracture of one officer's thumb, police said.

In the struggle, pepper spray was used with no apparent effect on the man. Once handcuffed and sitting up, the man suffered a medical emergency, police said. Paramedics immediately began rescue efforts and took him to Lake Mead Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death was under investigation pending a medical examiner's autopsy. The name of the dead man was not released.

The officers involved in the struggle with the man have been placed on administrative leave. Their names were withheld for 48 hours, a normal police procedure.

Pepper spray is considered a nonlethal weapon and its use is not considered to be deadly force.

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