Jun 30, 2008 10:32 pm US/Eastern
Family Questions Police In Celtics Fan Death
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The parents of a man who apparently stopped breathing after he was arrested during the Boston Celtics NBA championship celebration are raising questions about his death, and what happened while he was in police custody.
David Woodman, 22, of Southwick, died Sunday, 11 days after he was charged with drinking in public and resisting arrest.
On the night of the arrest, police say they began CPR immediately after noticing Woodman was having problems. "At some point, officers realized that he was in medical distress; they released him from handcuffs and they immediately began to administer CPR, while summonsing EMS to that location," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.
Attorney Howard Freedman, who is representing the Woodman family, said something completely different went down that night. "He was grabbed by police officers, pushed up against the fence, handcuffed behind his back and placed face down on the sidewalk."
Freedman said Woodman suffered significant brain damage after he stopped breathing for several minutes while in police custody. "Certainly a concern is that he had brain damage because blood wasn't getting to his brain, which means he was not getting any care...for a period that's got to be longer than four or five minutes."
Davis said police reacted quickly to Woodman's medical issue. "An officer also flagged down a passing private ambulance which took over emergency CPR. He was then rushed to Beth Israel Medical Center."
Woodman died at the hospital on Sunday.
The incident is being investigated by the Boston Police Homicide Unit and the Suffolk County D.A.'s Office. Officials are waiting for Woodman's autopsy results to determine the exact cause of his death.
Woodman's family wants a federal investigation into what happened that night.
Davis said police did not use excessive force during Woodman's arrest. "We know that no OC spray or batons were used... We will review the use of the system to determine whether actions taken that night were consistent with department training, rules and procedures."
The Woodman family said their son had surgery on his heart when he was a baby for a birth defect called "trasposition of the great arteries." The condition kept him from playing certain sports, but his family does not believe it would lead to a sudden heart attack.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Celtics Celebrate Banner 17
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments