A man died following a “medical emergency” while being detained by police in Northern California on Monday, authorities said.
Officers in Alameda, a small island community in the shadows of Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco, responded to the 800 block of Oak Street around 10:45 a.m. Monday after getting “two separate reports of a male who appeared to be under the influence and a suspect in a possible theft,” according to a police statement.
“Officers attempted to detain the man and a physical altercation ensued,” the statement continued. “At that time, the man had a medical emergency.”
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
Conor Acomb, 42, of Oakland, had just left a bank when he “saw the commotion” and slowed down to look.
“I saw a gentleman writhing on the ground with two officers over him,” Acomb told NBC News. “It looked like he was having a heart attack.”
Officers performed CPR on the man for at least 15 minutes before he was taken away by an ambulance, according to the witness. The incident drew a massive police response.
“I looked down Oak Street and saw about 12 patrol cars and dozens of cops,” Acomb added. “It was an overwhelming police presence.”
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office are conducting separate investigations into the man’s death, police said.
The man’s name, age and race were not immediately disclosed.
