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A man died Thursday afternoon while in custody of the Whittier Police. According to a statement by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Whittier police responded to a call "regarding a male adult suffering from a mental illness who was refusing to go to a mental hospital." The man ran away from the home before officers arrived, and was later discovered about a mile away along the 7900 block of Ocean View Drive.
"Upon arrival of officers, the male attempted to jump over a fence that led toward a water reservoir," Sheriff's Deputy Caroline Rodriguez continued in the statement. "Officers used control holds to restrain and handcuff the male." The statement added that, "A short time later the male became unconscious and the officers began lifesaving measures until the arrival of paramedics."
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune , the man was pronounced dead shortly before 2 p.m. at a hospital in Whittier.
The county sheriff's department is currently conducting an investigation of the death, and the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will be performing an autopsy.
LAist contacted the Whittier Police Department for comment, but has not received response by publication of this piece.
