Backyard intruder dies in police custody

The suspect appeared to have fallen before being taken in, according to police

GILROY >> A 42-year-old Gilroy man died in police custody late Sunday night after falling off a roof and struggling with officers, who used a stun gun and a cartoid restraint to subdue him, authorities said.

Just before 10 p.m., officers with the Gilroy Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious person in the backyard of a home on the 7400 block of Chestnut Street.

The suspect ran from officers, allegedly ignoring their commands to surrender, and eventually made his way onto the roofs of at least two nearby homes, according to police.

Before they made physical contact with the suspect, officers noticed he appeared to have been bleeding from his face and a witness reported hearing a noise consistent with a fall, police said.

Officers found the suspect on the ground and tried to take him into custody, but he acted violently, resisted their efforts and made threatening statements, according to police.

In response, officers used a stun gun and a cartoid restraint to subdue the man, police said.A cartoid restraint is similar in appearance to a chokehold but targets a person’s neck artery instead of their airway. California state law prohibits police officers from using chokeholds.

During the struggle, officers noticed the suspect was in medical distress and began life-saving efforts, according to police.

Personnel with the Gilroy Fire Department took over and transported the suspect to a trauma center, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect’s identity was withheld Monday pending notification of next of kin.

The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office is conducting an independent investigation to determine a cause of death, according to police. And, as is standard in such cases, county prosecutors and police are jointly investigating the case.

Anyone with information for the police can contact the Gilroy Police Department’s Investigations Unit at 408-8460350.