Pasadena - Autospsy Awaited in death of Black Man Beat Down by Police
The autopsy of a man who lapsed into a coma and eventually died after an altercation with the police will determine whether a criminal investigation is launched into the actions of officers involved in the incident, according to authorities. LaMont Robinson, 30, of Pasadena died July 10. He had been comatose at Huntington Hospital since the April 10 altercation with police. The Pasadena Police Department launched an administrative review of the use of force immediately after the incident but Deputy Chief Wayne Hiltz said no conclusions have been reached. The District Attorney's Office and the FBI also are investigating the Robinson incident. Officers stopped to talk to Robinson, who was mumbling because his mouth was full, Uyeda said. The officers tried to force what looked like several grams of rock cocaine from Robinson's mouth and a struggle ensued. At one point, officers were on top of Robinson, some trying to put his arms behind his back, others attempting to force open his mouth, Uyeda said. Robinson lost consciousness and appeared to stop breathing at some point in the fight, Uyeda said. Joe Brown, president of the Pasadena branch of the NAACP, said it was completely unnecessary for the police to try to wrest the drugs from Robinson's mouth. If there is need to retrieve drugs from a suspect's mouth, police can always arrest a suspect and later pump his stomach, Brown said.
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