In Midtown Memphis on August 11, 2023, a man passed away while in police custody following an altercation with Memphis Police officers, according to authorities in MEMPHIS, Tenn.
The officers who were involved in the arrest of the man have been suspended from their duties temporarily, awaiting the outcome of an inquiry. The investigation is being overseen by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), as stated by officials.
In response to a request from 30th Judicial District Attorney Steve Mulroy, TBI special agents are en route to the scene of a death that occurred while an individual was in custody after an interaction with Memphis Police Department officers, the TBI stated.
The TBI stated that the occurrence took place within the 1700 block of Madison Avenue.
As per information from the Memphis Police Department (MPD), a proprietor notified authorities slightly before 11 a.m. on Friday about an individual behaving suspiciously, sorting through boxes of rat poison close to the vicinity of South Idlewild Street and Madison Avenue.
Law enforcement mentioned that additional calls were received regarding an individual who was observed inspecting vehicles and rifling through mailboxes at the address of 11 S. Idlewild St.
Subsequently, an officer approached the individual at 45 S. Idlewild St. On initial contact, the man walked away but then escalated to running, as stated by law enforcement.
According to the police, he was apprehended and restrained in the vicinity of Madison and South Auburndale Street, where he began to resist the arrest. Subsequently, he was secured inside a police vehicle, where the officers observed signs of breathing difficulty and exhaustion likely stemming from his sprint, the police department added.
In response to the situation, an ambulance was summoned to assess the individual’s well-being, according to law enforcement.
Reportedly, the man’s health deteriorated significantly as he was transported to Methodist University, reaching a critical state. Regrettably, he was pronounced deceased at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Friday.
