Struggle With Rochester Police Officers Preceded Man’s Death
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Rochester Police Department has turned over the investigation into the death of a man in police custody to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A statement issued by the police department this morning indicates a man died after he and an officer were engaged in a physical struggle that followed a traffic stop just before 9 PM that was based on several violations. The preliminary investigation found the man pulled over into the parking lot at the Cub Foods store in southeast Rochester but then attempted to drive away. The officer was able to quickly stop him again and was in the process of arresting him when the physical struggle ensued.
Other officers were called to the scene and the man was eventually subdued and taken into custody. Officials say that is when he became unresponsive and despite the life-saving efforts of the officers, that included CPR and the use of a portable heart defibrillator, the man died at the scene.
The preliminary investigation found no weapons were used in apprehending the man and all of the officers were wearing body cameras. The recordings from those cameras have been turned over to the BCA for review. The officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The BCA has indicated it will release additional information after investigators complete their initial interviews. The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office will make a formal identification of the man and his name will be released after his family is notified.