Man Dies After Release from Custody

Los Angeles: A 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at the Martin Luther King Medical Center on December 12, 2006, after he had been released from police custody following his arrest for a domestic-violence related battery.

Officers from the Southeast Police Station arrested Michael Francis earlier that day, around 3:10 AM at the Magic Carpet Inn, located on Century Boulevard. Officers had answered a report of a fight in the motel.

After placing Francis in handcuffs, officers noticed him acting strangely. They summoned an ambulance, removed the handcuffs and had him taken to MLK Medical Center. Francis was admitted for observation so doctors could monitor his system for high levels of narcotics.

Francis’s condition was such that he could not be booked on the misdemeanor charge, so officers opted to release him from custody and allow prosecutors to file the charge at a later time.

Medical staff notified the police department that Francis died at 11:24 AM.

Force Investigation Division will investigate the incident. A coroner’s examination will determine the cause of death.