Man dies in police custody in SE Houston

HOUSTON The incident started out as a call about a man running around without clothes on Fuqua near the Gulf Freeway. By the time officers arrived, they found him with his clothes on. Officers were questioning the suspect when he tried to run.

Police say he tried to resist arrest and they got into a struggle with the suspect, with the man even punching and kicking the officers. They eventually handcuffed him.

They then called an ambulance because it appeared the suspect was on drugs.

"Officers noticed that the individual suspect stops breathing. HFD arrives, begins treatment on the individual, and he has a pulse. On the way to the hospital, we were informed that he had been pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital," said a detective.

Eyewitness say officers used a Taser on the man and that's why he stopped breathing.

"We saw him get it (Taser) out and I heard the snapping noises," said Stacey Ardoin. "It was crazy. I didn't know what to think. I'd never seen anything like that before in my life."

The name of the 31-year-old suspect has not yet been released. The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine what killed him.

As is customary in in-custody death incidents involving HPD officers in the city limits, the incident is being investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs Divisions as well as the Harris County District Attorney's Office.