Man dies 2 weeks after being subdued, restrained by El Cajon police

A 52-year-old man who lost consciousness while being subdued and restrained by El Cajon police officers earlier this month died Saturday after being hospitalized for two weeks, according to the San Diego Police Department, which is investigating the in-custody death.

The man, whose name was not released, never regained consciousness after the El Cajon officers used force to subdue him Jan. 4, San Diego police homicide Lt. Lou Maggi said in a statement.

San Diego homicide detectives are investigating the death under a countywide agreement that law enforcement agencies do not investigate shootings or in-custody deaths involving their own officers.

“Detectives will be working with the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine if the use of force played any role in the man’s death,” Maggi said.

The incident began around 6 a.m. when El Cajon police received a report of a man running in traffic and yelling for help near Magnolia and Chase avenues, according to Maggi. When officers arrived in the area, the man allegedly refused to follow their commands and then lay face down in the street.

Officers handcuffed the man, used “soft restraints” to bind his ankles and called for paramedics to evaluate him, but he became non-responsive and fell unconscious before the paramedics arrived, according to Maggi.

Officers performed CPR and administered Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but he remained unconscious, Maggi s...