Coroner: Public Defender Jeff Adachi Killed By Lethal Mix Of Cocaine, Alcohol
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who passed away suddenly last month, appears to have died from a mix of alcohol consumption and cocaine, according to the coroner's office.
Adachi, who was 59, was having dinner with a friend in North Beach on Feb. 22 when he began to have trouble breathing, the public defender's office said.
Later that evening, emergency crews responded to a woman's call of a medical emergency at a residence on Telegraph Place where Adachi was and were able to recover a pulse, but Adachi later died at the hospital.
According to the coroner's report, the cause of death was listed as "acute mixed drug (cocaine and ethanol) toxicity."
The coroner also indicated heart disease as a contributing factor in his death, saying he suffered from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Adachi's death was being investigated by the San Francisco Police Department. In a statement, the department would not comment on the results of Adachi's autopsy, and would only say, "The case is still under investigation by San Francisco Police."
