Maryland authorities are investigating the in-custody death of a man who was suffering from a mental health crisis on Tuesday.
The man approached a Baltimore police officer as he stood at a traffic light in a marked patrol vehicle at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road on June 24.
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General said the man walked into the middle of the roadway two times as he spoke with the officer.
That’s when the officer attempted to restrain him for his safety with the help of fellow officers.
The man was then placed in handcuffs and leg restraints. While officers waited for medical assistance, the man became unresponsive.
He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on Wednesday, the AG’s office said.
Investigators are reviewing the body camera footage of the incident. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is investigating.
“I think this is a nationwide crisis with behavioral health crisis. Unfortunately, too many of them end up with the use of force,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.
“We’ve done an excellent job with training our officers, getting them to de-escalate these situations. Unfortunately, this one, they weren’t able to de-escalate, and it ended in tragedy.”
