Sacramento police investigating in-custody death after woman became unresponsive in patrol car
SACRAMENTO – A death-in-custody investigation is underway in Sacramento after a woman who was arrested for trespassing became unresponsive in the back of a patrol vehicle, police say.
The Sacramento Police Department said the case began on Nov. 16 when they responded to the Haggin Oaks Driving Range on Fulton Avenue for reports that a woman had been on the property for several days.
The officers contacted her and issued a written notice for trespassing.
The following day, a private security guard reported the same woman was inside a vehicle in the parking lot and was refusing to leave, police said.
She was contacted again and indicated she was having vehicle issues, police said. So officers requested a tow company to respond and left the scene.
But a few hours later, police said an officer returned to the property and found the woman was still there, saying she declined the tow help.
Police tried to get her to leave for an hour, offering her transportation and shelter options, according to a news release, but she declined help and did not leave the property.
The Sacramento police officer placed her under arrest for trespassing. Then a brief struggle ensued and she was placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a patrol car where she became unresponsive, police said.
The officer called for medical help and the woman was eventually taken to a hospital for treatment. However, police said she died on Sunday.
Due to her having a medical emergency while being detained, the Sacramento Police Department started a death-in-custody investigation.
