Man falls unconscious while in police custody, CMPD detectives investigating
A 41-year-old man fell unconscious during his arrest in Charlotte and has been hospitalized for a life-threatening medical condition, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officials said Friday.
Police officers described the man, Harold Easter, as having a “life-threatening, medical emergency while in the custody of officers” Thursday morning, according to a CMPD news release sent Friday afternoon.
Metro Division officers began giving medical aid to Easter while he was in police custody for an interview and arrest processing, CMPD officials said. And officers called for Medic to take him to the hospital after he fell unconscious, according to a CMPD news release.
CMPD officials did not specify what type of medical emergency occurred or what type of medical aid was given.
Easter was in police custody late Thursday morning after officers stopped his car just north of uptown, around 11:40 a.m., near Whisnant Street and Burton Street, according to CMPD. Officers say they had “observed a suspected drug transaction ... and conducted a traffic stop on a suspect vehicle.”
During the stop, officers found cocaine and marijuana and arrested Easter for “drug and traffic charges,” according to police.
“Detectives with CMPD’s Homicide Unit are conducting an investigation into this case because of the life-threatening, medical emergency experienced by Easter while in the custody of officers,” according to the CMPD release.
“Preliminary information indicates that during this process, Easter began experiencing a medical emergency and lost consciousness,” police said in the release.
CMPD’s internal affairs bureau is conducting a “separate but parallel investigation to ensure the officers’ actions were consistent with the CMPD’s policies and procedures,” the release states.