State Police Launch Investigation After Man Dies In Custody Of New Castle Police
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- State police are investigating a man's death in New Castle on Sunday after he was arrested by three New Castle officers.
KDKA learned those officers are now on desk duty, as per department policy.
Albert Beckworth-Thompson, 34, died just minutes after reportedly telling officers he was "drugged."
According to New Castle police, officers received numerous calls from neighbors on various streets throughout the area late Saturday night and into early Sunday morning. They reported a man yelling and "acting erratically."
According to Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa, the incidents started earlier in the evening.
"We have information he was at a restaurant bar several hours earlier and started acting erratically there, was eventually kicked out, and there were reports of him breaking into a home and burglarizing a home and assaulting the occupant," Lamancusa said.
According to Lamancusa, one neighbor reportedly noticed Beckworth-Thompson in distress and offered him a bottle of water. The neighbor told police that Beckworth-Thompson accused her of tampering with the water and allegedly threw the bottle.
Around 3 a.m. on Sunday, New Castle police found Beckworth-Thompson on Adams Street and all three officers captured video of the encounter.
"All three body cameras of the officers were functioning, and we have secured video," said Lamancusa. "There is a lot of video, and it shows the entire incident from start to finish."
Lamancusa said the video shows Beckworth-Thompson sweating profusely and asking the officers if they were "real" police officers. According to police, Beckworth-Thompson also reportedly said his girlfriend drugged him.
Lamancusa said during the encounter, the officers administered Narcan twice to Beckworth-Thompson, but it didn't appear to have any effect on him. They tried to cuff him, but he allegedly resisted and injured one officer.
Officers eventually tased him and took him into custody. According to Lamancusa, the officers then noticed his pulse dropping and immediately started CPR, but he died before an ambulance could get him to UPMC Jameson.
The Pennsylvania State Police will now gather the evidence and conduct an independent investigation. The PSP will generate a report and pass it off to the Lawrence County District Attorney's Office. Lamancusa told KDKA that he will then determine "if police acted appropriately."
Lamancusa said his office is trying to be as reserved as it can be until receiving the full toxicology panel.
"Was this intoxication? Was this a physical effect, something that was happening to him, whether it was a heart attack or a stroke or was he having a mental break? We just don't know," said Lamancusa.
KDKA is told the report will take several weeks.
