COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado police say a man died Tuesday after being handcuffed during a response by a mental health crisis team.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Springs Police Department's dispatch center received a call around 4:41 p.m. from a person who said a man was experiencing a mental health episode at a home in the 200 block of Mount View lane.
Four minutes later, a Community Response Team (CRT) was dispatched to the home. A CRT is comprised of a CSPD officer, a community health paramedic employed by the Colorado Springs Fire Department, and a Diversus Health Clinician, according to the sheriff's office.
When the team arrived, they found a man matching the caller's description in the roadway. According to the sheriff's office, the officer attempted to escort the man out of the roadway when "a struggle ensued." The paramedic helped the officer, the sheriff's officer said in a press release.
The man was placed in handcuffs "and became unresponsive," according to the sheriff's office. The paramedic rendered medical aid to the man, and he was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The El Paso County Coroner's Office will determine the man's cause and manner of death.
The involved officer and paramedic were placed on paid administrative leave, per department policies, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office is leading the investigation into the incident.
Authorities haven't released further information on the incident, including what the struggle entailed.