|
|
| Jury Rules Death an Accident |
| By The Waukegan News Sun |
| Published: 04/03/2006 |
|
A Lake County coroner's jury ruled last week that the death of an Illinois man who fought with police in a drug-induced state was accidental. Roberto Gonzalez, 34, died early Jan. 4 after police were called just before midnight Jan. 3 to subdue him when he barricaded himself in a pantry in his parents' home where he lived. He was armed with a knife and was hallucinating, police were told. The jury ruled Gonzalez's death was accidental due to "excited delirium from a cocaine drug overdose." Vernon Hills Police Detective Andrew Jones, a member of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force that investigated the death, told the jury of the violent confrontation between Gonzalez and Waukegan police. Once Gonzalez was subdued, he was given medical attention and taken to Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan where he died at 2:15 a.m. The Task Force was involved in the investigation because of a Waukegan police policy that requires the Task Force to be called in to investigate when Waukegan police are present at the scene of a death. Deputy Coroner Tammy Williams told the jury the autopsy found no signs of trauma on the body. There were minor bruises and contusions, she said. Toxicology tests found high levels of cocaine. The blood-alcohol level was .023, well below the .08 legal level for driving, she said. Williams said use of cocaine "increased the demand on the heart." She said the cause of death was "excited delirium due to cocaine use," noting that a "significant factor" in the death was "the stress due to being restrained." In his narrative of the incident, Detective Jones said police used a Taser in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue Gonzalez. One juror asked Williams if the Taser had any effect on the death. "The pathologist did not list that as a significant factor," Williams answered. Jones said police also used pepper spray in an attempt to subdue Gonzalez. Police were called by Gonzalez's sister and Jones said officers were told Gonzalez was under drug and/or alcohol influence. The detective said Gonzalez did not respond to police demands. Also, the pepper spray had no effect. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think