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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has placed two officers on administrative leave and launched two investigations after a man in custody died after being Tasered.
The department’s Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene of the incident early Monday on the city’s northeast side to conduct a criminal investigation. The department’s Internal Affairs department is conducting a separate investigation, IMPD said.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a separate review after the other two investigations are complete.
Officers were told by a father that his son, Herman Whitfield III, 39, was experiencing a mental health issue and needed an ambulance, police said.
Officers requested an ambulance after they saw Whitfield moving through the home naked, sweating and bleeding from his mouth, police said. He moved to parts of the home where officers lost sight of him several times.
Officers had tried negotiating and using de-escalation tactics for more than 10 minutes when Whitfield moved quickly toward an officer, police said.
“The officer activated the Taser twice and the man continued to resist,” police said in a news release.
Officers handcuffed the man, but medics received no response from him, and they began CPR, police said. Whitfield was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Officers described the man as about 6 feet 2 inches tall and around 280 pounds.
The officers who were directly involved have been placed on administrative leave, IMPD said.
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