Man dies while Indianapolis police try to detain him

INDIANAPOLIS – Multiple police officers were put on leave after a man died while police were trying to detain him Monday when responding to a mental health-related call.

The man, who has not been identified, was struck in the chest by a stun gun and handcuffed, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Officers responded to a home in northeast Indianapolis early Monday morning after a man reported his adult son was experiencing a mental health issue and needed an ambulance. When officers arrived, they called for an ambulance and observed the adult son was walking around without clothes, sweating and bleeding from his mouth.

Officers reported that the man was moving throughout the house and out of sight. They tried to communicate with the man to prepare him for transport by an ambulance, according to police.

After more than 10 minutes of negotiating and using de-escalation tactics, the man quickly moved toward an officer, Indianapolis police said. An officer then deployed his stun gun, striking the man in the chest with at least one of the two prongs.

“The officer activated the Taser twice and the man continued to resist after the deployment of the Taser.” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police

“The officer activated the Taser twice and the man continued to resist after the deployment of the Taser,” police said in the release.

Officers then restrained the man with two pairs of handcuffs, which police said were due to the man’s size.

When medics – who were waiting outside and came in after officers said it was safe – asked the man to roll over, he did not respond. They checked for a pulse, uncuffed him and began CPR, police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police did not say how many officers were involved or placed on leave. Multiple officers had body-worn cameras that were activated, police said.

Indianapolis police’s critical incident respond team and internal affairs department are conducting separate investigations. A use of force review board of mostly civilians will launch its own investigation after the criminal and administrative investigations are complete, police said.

The man’s cause of death has not yet been determined by the Marion County Coroner’s Office, which will release his identity after next of kin are notified.