BREAKING: 33-Year-Old Dies in Custody of Tuscaloosa Police
An investigation is being launched after a 33-year-old man reportedly died in the custody of the Tuscaloosa Police Department.
Captain Marty Sellers, the co-commander of the multi-agency Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, alerted local media to the situation at about 8 a.m. Saturday.
He said the VCU has been asked to investigate an "in-custody death involving a 33-year-old male and Tuscaloosa Police."
The Violent Crimes Unit is a team comprised of detectives from the Tuscaloosa, Northport, and University of Alabama Police Departments and the County Sheriff's Office. They forego jurisdictional boundaries and investigate almost all local deaths that occur outside of a hospital setting, as well as assault cases and sex crimes. Their involvement in a death case does not necessarily indicate suspicion of foul play.
More information is expected to be released later Saturday by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, since department protocol will prohibit anyone within TPD, including Sellers, from saying any further about the death.
UPDATE: Sergeant Suzanne Spencer of the sheriff's office said the death occurred before dawn Saturday morning in north Tuscaloosa.
She said officers were called to check out a suspicious male, who was reportedly acting agitated toward family and police.
"As officers attempted to assist the male, he became combative and began struggling with them. He seemed to have an altered mental state as officers interacted with him," Spencer said. "During the course of the struggle, the male became unresponsive. Officers immediately began rendering aid as medical personnel were asked to come into the apartment. The male was transported to a local hospital, where he was declared deceased."
The VCU will take over the case, and no one affiliated with TPD will be involved in the investigation.
"The male initially reported to on scene officers that he had ingested a drug prior to their arrival," Spencer said. "His demeanor on scene seemed to support what he told officers. As soon as he went unresponsive the officers began administering CPR. VCU investigators are conducting the investigation. There were no signs of trauma to the male."
Those TPD officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave per TPD policy, Spencer said.
For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.
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