Police: Man Dies While In Custody After Being Given Naloxone, Punched In Face By Officer

Kimberly Davis reports.

I'LL TELL YOU HOW LONG THISBLAST OF COLD AIR IS GOING TOLAST.UKEE, BACK OVER TO YOU.ALL RIGHT KATE, THANK YOU.TONIGHT AN INVESTIGATION ISJUST GETTING STARTED AFTER A MANDIES IN PHILADELPHIA POLICECUSTODY.EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTERKIMBERLY DAVIS IS AT POLICEHEADQUARTERS AND THIS IS ONE OFTHE FIRST PUBLIC TESTS UNDER THELEADERSHIP OF THE NEWCOMMISSIONER.KIMBERLY?Reporter: UKEE, THAT'S RIGHT.THE NEW POLICE COMMISSIONER ISALREADY GETTING IN FRONT OF THISINCIDENT.SHE TELLS EYEWITNESS NEWS THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT PLANS ON BEINGVERY TRANSPARENT WITH THISINVESTIGATION AS THEY LOOK INTOWHAT CAUSED THIS MAN'S DEATH.THERE WAS SOMEBODY ON THEGROUND, AND IT WAS QUITECROWDED.Reporter: MULTIPLE PEOPLEWERE AROUND AS A RITE AIDPHARMACIST WORKED TO SAVE A 28YEAR OLD MAN'S LIFE IN THE LOGANSECTION OF PHILADELPHIA.ONE MAN, WHO ASKED NOT TO BE ONCAMERA, DESCRIBED WHAT HE SAWONCE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED ONSCENE.IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS DYINGWHEN I LOOKED IN THE CAR ANDSEEN.THEN I WENT IN THE STORE ANDTHEN I CAME BACK OUT, HE WASLYING FLAT ON THE GROUND AND THECOPS WAS THERE TRYING TO HELPHIM.REPORTER: PHILADELPHIA POLICERESPONDED TO THE 4600 BLOCK OFNORTH BROAD STREET JUST AFTER5:15 WEDNESDAY NIGHT.BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL, A RITE AIDPHARMACIST ADMINISTERED NARCANON THE SHIRTLESS MAN.WITNESSES SAY THE MAN BECAMEAGGRESSIVE WHEN HE CAME TO.I WAS LIKE WHY IS HEHOLLERING AND SCREAMING WHENEVERYBODY TRYING TO HELP HIM.Reporter: POLICE SAY THE MANBEGAN TO THROW HIS BODY INTOCARS AND ON THE STREET.WE'RE TOLD POLICE NEEDED TOHANDCUFF THE MAN FOR SAFETYPURPOSES, AND THAT'S WHEN A 31YEAR OLD OFFICER PUNCHED THE MANIN THE FACE.HE WAS PLACED INTO A FIREDEPARTMENT MEDIC UNIT WHERE HEBECAME UNRESPONSIVE.POLICE SAY HE WAS PRONOUNCEDDEAD AT ALBERT EINSTEIN MEDICALCENTER.PEOPLE WHO COME OUT OF ANOVERDOSE VIA NARCAN CANSOMETIMES BECOME VIOLENT.PHILADELPHIA POLICECOMMISSIONER DANIELLE OUTLAWRELEASED A STATEMENT ADDRESSINGTHE POLICE-INVOLVED DEATHTHURSDAY NIGHT READING, IN PART,WE WILL CONDUCT A THOROUGH,COMPLETE AND OBJECTIVEINVESTIGATION.AT PRESENT, BECAUSE THEENCOUNTER INVOLVED ANAPPLICATION OF FORCE, THEINVOLVED OFFICER HAS BEEN PLACEDIN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTY STATUS ASTHE INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS.RITE AID IS NOT COMMENTING ONTHE INVESTIGATION, BUT ASPOKESPERSON TELLS ME IT IS NOTAGAINST RITE AID'S PROTOCOL FORITS EMPLOYEES TO USE NARCAN ONANYONE WHO IS SUFFERING FROM ANOVERDOSE ON ITS PROPERTY.AS FOR THE MAN'S IDENTITY,POLICE HAVE NOT RELEASED THATINFORMATION.WE'RE LIVE OUTSIDE OF POLICE