Abstract
The sudden death of an arrestee after a violent restraint altercation with the police or detention officers has emerged as a vexing problem, not only for the responding officers but also for the involved criminal justice agency, health care professionals, medical examiners, pathologists, the community, and the legal system. Such deaths have also occurred in psychiatric hospitals when staff members have been required to restrain a violent, mentally impaired patient. Although sudden in-custody death is rare in occurrence, the incident comprises a myriad of potential contributing factors that can make determining a cause of death problematic. Numerous questions of what contributed to the sudden death arise. These include the following:
-
1.
Did the deceased contribute to his or her own death.
-
2.
Did the individual die of a heart attack, heart abnormality, acute exhaustive mania, or asphyxiation?
-
3.
Did the officers contribute to the death by use of the prolonged struggle and restraint procedures?
-
4.
Had the subject been taking medication or abusing drugs, which over time rendered his or her heart more susceptible to cardiac arrest and sudden death?
-
5.
Did the overwhelming emotional stress of the incident contribute to the individual’s death?
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Luke JL, Reay DT. The perils of investigating and certifying deaths in police custody. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1992;13:98–100.
Chan TC, Neuman T, Clausen J, Eisele J, Vilke GM. Weight force during prone restraint and respiratory function. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2004;3:185–189.
Reay DT, Howard JD, Flinger CL, Ward RJ. 1988; Effects of positional restraint an oxygen saturation and heart rate following exercise. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1988;9:16–18.
Reay DT, Flinger CL, Stillwell AD, Arnold J. Positional asphyxiation during law enforcement transport. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1992;13:10–14.
O’Halloran RL, Lewman LV. Restraint asphyxiation in excited delirium. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1993;114:289–285.
Wetli CV, Fishbain DA. Cocaine-induced psychosis and sudden death in recreational cocaine users. J Forensic Sci 1985;30:873–880.
Mittleman RE, Wetli CV. Cocaine and sudden “natural” death. J Forensic Sci 1987;32:9–11.
Wetli CV. Fatal cocaine intoxication. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1987;8:1–2.
Baker FM. Cocaine psychosis. J Natl Med Assoc 1987;81:992–1000.
Kosten TR, Kleber HD. Rapid death during cocaine abuse: a variant of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome? Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 1988;14:335–346.
Wetli CV, Mash D, Karch SB. Cocaine-associated agitated delirium and the neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Am J Emerg Med 1996;14:425–428.
McLaughlin V, Siddle BK. Law enforcement custody deaths. Police Chief 1988;8:38–41.
Kornblum RN, Reddy SK. Effects of taser in fatalities involving police confrontation. J Forensic Sci 1991;36:343–348.
Krosh C, Binkard V, Blackbourn B. Final report of custody task force, San Diego Police Department, San Diego, CA, 1992.
Mirchandani HG, Rorke LB, Sekula-Perlman A, Hood IC. Cocaine-induced agitated delirium, forceful struggle, and minor head injury. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1994;15:95–99.
Granfield J, Kami O, Petty C. Pepper spray and in-custody deaths. Science and Technology, International Associations of Chiefs of Police, Alexandria, VA, 1994, pp. 1–5.
Pollanen MS, Chiasson DA, Cairns JT, Young JG. Unexpected death related to restraint for excited delirium: A retrospective study of deaths in police custody and the community. Can Med Assoc J 1998;12:1603–1607.
Ross DL. Factors associated with excited delirium deaths in police custody. Mod Pathol 1998;11:1127–1137.
O’Halloran RL, Frank JG. Asphyxial death during prone restraint revisited: A report of 21 cases. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2000;21:39–52.
Stratton SJ, Rogers C, Green K. Sudden death in individuals on hobble restraint during paramedic transport. Ann Emerg Med 1995;25:170–712.
Spitz WU. Capture myopathy. JAMA 1985;43:253.
Lown B. Sudden cardiac death: bio-behavioral perspective. Circulation 1987;76(Suppl.):186–189.
Engel GL. Sudden and rapid death during psychological stress. Ann Internal Med 1971;74:771–782.
Cebelin MS, Hirsch CS. Human stress cardiomyopathy. Hum Pathol 1980;11:123–132.
Ruttenber AJ, Lawler-Heavner J, Ming Y, Wetli CV, Hearn WL, Mash DC. Fatal excited delirium following cocaine use: epidemiologic findings provide new evidence for mechanisms of cocaine toxicity. J Forensic Sci 1997;42:25–31.
Krosch C. Some in-custody deaths cited as preventable. Law Enforcement Q 1992;4:15–18, 35.
Lapasota EA. Cocaine-induced heart disease: mechanisms and pathology. J Thorac Imaging 1991;6:68–75.
Post RB. Cocaine psychosis: a continuum model. Am J Psychiatry 1975;32:225–230.
Bunn WH, Giannini AJ. Cardiovascular complications of cocaine abuse. Am Fam Physician 1992;46:769–777.
Essobedo LG, Ruttenber JA, Agoes M, Anda RR, Wetli CV. Emerging patterns of cocaine use and epidemic of cocaine overdose, deaths in Dade County Florida. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1992;115:900–905.
Reay DT. Suspect restraint and sudden death. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 1996;May:22–25.
Bell MD, Rao VJ, Wetli CV. Positional asphyxiation in adults. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1992;13:25–28.
Chan TC, Vilke GM, Neuman T, Clausen JL. Restraint position and positional asphyxia. Ann Emerg Med 1997;30:578–586.
Chan TC, Vilke GM, Neuman T. Reexamination of custody restraint position and positional asphyxia. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1998;19:201–205.
Chan TC, Vilke GM, Clausen J, et al. The effect of oleoresin capsicum pepper spray inhalation on respiratory function. J Forensic Sci 2002;47:299–304.
Chan T.C, Vilke G.M, Clausen J, et al. Pepper spray’s effects on a suspect’s ability to breathe. National Institute of Justice: Research in Brief, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 2001, pp. 1–7.
Schmidt P, Snowden T. The effects of positional restraint on heart rate and oxygen saturation. J Emerg Med 1999;5:777–782.
Karch S, Wetli CV. Agitated delirium versus positional asphyxiation. American Medical Care, New York, NY, 1995, pp 760–761.
Giles GH, Sandrin S. Alcohol deaths in police custody. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1992;32:419–432.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ross, D.L. (2006). Case Analysis of Restraint Deaths in Law Enforcement and Corrections. In: Ross, D.L., Chan, T.C. (eds) Sudden Deaths in Custody. Forensic Science and Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-015-7_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-015-7_9
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-475-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-015-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)