Officers Attempt to Subdue Man with Mental Illness

June 4, 2008

Los Angeles: A man with mental illness charged two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and in the subsequent struggle lost consciousness and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

On June 3, 2008 at approximately 3:50 a.m., LAPD Newton Patrol Division Patrol Officer Matthew Swan, 11 years and 9 months with the Department, and his partner Officer Daniel Navarro, 1 year and 2 months with the Department, attempted to stop a male Hispanic matching the description of a man with mental illness radio call at Wall Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard.

The man charged at the police officers. The officers struggled with the man, attempted to gain control of him and requested a back-up unit.

A group of uniformed Newton Division officers arrived at the scene to assist Officers Swan and Navarro. The officers struggled to control the man, who was thrashing his body, yelling profanities and attempted to spit on them. As the officers attempted to gain control of the suspect, he lost consciousness.

The suspect was transported by a Los Angeles City Fire Department Ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No officers were injured during the incident.

Force Investigation Division Personnel are investigating this incident.