36-year-old man dies in Denver police custody after being accused fighting security guards, breaking windows

A 36-year-old man is dead after Denver Police Department says he stopped breathing while he was being arrested early on Nov. 15. He was originally accused of breaking windows at separate residential locations, leading to a fight with two security guards. Investigators say he eventually needed CPR and was taken to the hospital, where he died. Prior to his arrest, DPD says the man initially called 911 himself claiming he was having a heart attack, and he was in danger of a robbery.

According to the DPD press release, the man was in custody for criminal mischief and assault after he was accused of breaking windows at two properties and assaulting a security guard­­­­­­.

Denver police originally responded to the man when they say he called 911 just before midnight from the area of 1331 Speer Boulevard. 

"The man, who sounded highly agitated, was yelling at the call-taker, and after several minutes stated that he was having a heart attack and that people were coming to rob him," Denver PD shared in its press release. 

Emergency medical services responded to the man and tried to treat him, but investigators say he became combative and walked away from EMS and fire personnel who were on scene. 

It was after this encounter that investigators say dispatchers received reports that this man had supposedly thrown a block of concrete, breaking a glass entry door of a building in the 1300 block of Speer Blvd. 

Officers responded and tried to speak to the man, but they say he ran away. None of the responding officers chased the man, but instead called for more officers to respond to the area.

New reports were then made to DPD just after 12:15 a.m. in the 900 block of W 14th Avenue, where the man was accused of damaging another window there. Security officers were on scene at this location and tried to keep the man from entering the building. During this time, there was a struggle with the guards and the man, and investigators say the man punched and bit one of them, and that guard hit the man to stop him from biting. 

It was roughly 12:20 a.m. when police officers arrived at the new location on 14th Ave, and the man was being held on the ground by the guards, and those guards handcuffed the man as police arrived on scene. 

It was at that time investigators say the man was having difficulty breathing when he was unresponsive to questions. The man then stopped breathing, and police officers performed CPR themselves after requesting paramedics. Officers also administered the drug Naloxone in case he was having a an opioid-related overdose, but police say it didn't have any effect.

The man was then taken to the hospital, where he died at around 6 a.m.

Three Denver police officers were involved in the arrest and trying to provide emergency treatment for the man. DPD says no TASERs or other forms of force were used by the police officers, only the struggle that involved security guards. 

The name of the man was not released in the press release on Thursday, since next of kin had not yet been found or contacted.