Man dies after altercation with police in North Philadelphia
NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 55-year-old man has died following a bizarre and seemingly chaotic incident involving police officers in North Philadelphia.
The incident happened around 5 a.m. Thursday on the 900 block of Poplar Street.
Police were responding to a 911 call for a person screaming.
Arriving officers found the man jumping up and down on his red pickup truck while screaming.
An officer approached him.
Police say that's when the man jumped off the truck and went to the driver's side of the patrol car, reached inside an open window, and grabbed a female officer by her neck and hair.
There was a struggle and an officer struck the man with a baton. Another officer tasered him. Finally, they got him to the ground and got him handcuffed - then noticed he was unresponsive.
Thinking he might be overdosing, the officers administered a dose of Narcan.
Medics rushed him to Hahnemann University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"Stuff happens in this neighborhood all the time but for that, something like that. It's just, it's unfortunate," said Summer Woods of North Philadelphia.
Hospital staff determined the taser never penetrated the suspect's clothing or skin, so it's unlikely the cause of his death.
Internal affairs is investigating the incident.
Action News is told an autopsy is likely to be completed Friday to determine a cause of death.
One officer suffered minor injuries.
