Breaking News illustration. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
In a press release published Thursday afternoon, the University of Colorado Boulder Police announced it was requesting a review of a suspect death that occurred on Sunday, Dec. 29.
At around 8:15 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27 CUPD arrived at the Center for Innovation and Creativity at 1777 Exposition Drive in response to a call of suspicious activity. According to the press release, a male suspect reportedly tampered with an electrical box located outside the building and tried to break into a vehicle nearby. When CUPD officers located the suspect, they reported he was acting erratically and was uncooperative with officer commands. According to the release, he resisted arrest, which preceded the arrival of the Boulder Police Department to assist. American Medical Response was called for aid after an injury to a CUPD officer and a lack of change in the suspect’s continued erratic behavior.
AMR paramedics transported the suspect to Boulder Community Hospital after treating him on scene where, during transit, the release says he experienced a medical emergency. After admission to the hospital, he passed away on Sunday, Dec. 29.
The release describes the suspect’s possession of methamphetamine and states that the Boulder County Coroner is determining the cause of death. While the release states that the incident does not meet the criteria for a mandatory review, CUPD requested a review of the incident by the Boulder County Investigation Team, which investigates use-of-force incidents by law enforcement offers.
“Although it is not required by law or policy, I fully support CU’s request for the BCIT to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest, treatment, and eventual death of this person,” said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty in a statement. “The BCIT will conduct an objective, independent, and thorough investigation. After the District Attorney’s Office reviews the investigation, the findings will be shared with the community.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Ann Marie Vanderveen at ann.vanderveen@colorado.edu.
