Man dies minutes after arrest for hitting Tacoma patrol car, struggling with police
A man died within minutes of being arrested Tuesday for repeatedly hitting a Tacoma patrol car and struggling with officers, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The 33-year-old has not been identified.
Officials said he showed symptoms consistent with “excited delirium,” but a cause of death has not been determined.
Excited delirium often includes attempts at violence, unexpected strength and very high body temperature.
The incident occurred about 11:20 p.m. when the man ran up to a patrol car at the intersection of 96th Street South and Ainsworth Avenue and began striking the vehicle.
Officers notified dispatch they needed backup and got out of their patrol car.
“As the officers exited their vehicle, they were immediately attacked by the man,” sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.
They struggled with the man for two minutes as Tacoma police officers and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene.
Police managed to handcuff the man, but he allegedly continued to struggle.
Tacoma firefighters were called to the scene at 11:26 p.m. to evaluate his condition.
They arrived eight minutes later but within a minute of their arrival, the man stopped breathing and lost consciousness.
Paramedics performed CPR for about 40 minutes but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was awaiting trial on a second-degree robbery charge after allegedly holding up a Tacoma fast-food restaurant on Sept. 21.
In that incident, the man punched several employees then ran outside, stripped off his clothes and sprinted down the street.
Deputies used a stun gun on the man because he resisted arrest and struggled, court records say.
He allegedly told paramedics he was high on methamphetamine and marijuana and didn’t remember what happened.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 11:28 AM.
