Tyrone West, 44

Baltimore, Maryland
July 18, 2013

Agencies: Baltimore Police Department Maryland

Cause of death: Choking

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Last updated: over 5 years ago

Overview

Tyrone West, 44, died after being arrested during a traffic stop on July 18, 2013. West was pulled over for backing down the street into an intersection, according to the report.

After officers asked West to get out of the car, they noticed a bulge in his sock and suspected drugs. A bag recovered at the scene turned out to contain cocaine. The officers said they chased West, and he was ultimately tackled to the ground. When West died, he was in handcuffs.

An autopsy revealed no serious injuries or signs of asphyxia, and the officers were not charged in West's death. The department's Independent Review Board said in an August 2014 report that West "died of Cardiac Arrhythmia due to Cardiac Conduction System Abnormality complicated by Dehydration during Police Restraint."

According to the medical examiner, another contributing factor may have been "the extreme environmental temperatures."

In April 2016, a new forensic review of his autopsy concluded that West died because he couldn't breathe, and not because of a heart condition as the department's independent review board concluded.

Legal Action

December 2013 Autopsy Report

December 2013 State's Attorney Statement

June 2014 Lawsuit filed

August 2014 An independent panel created to review last year's in-custody death of Tyrone West determined that Baltimore police officers did not use excessive force but made tactical errors that "potentially aggravated the situation" and did not follow basic policies.

December 2014 Nine police officers to face no charges

April 2016 Forensic review of Autopsy Report

Community and Family Efforts

November 2015 Twanda Jones weekly vigil

March 2016 Weekly marches for Tyrone West