Man dies shortly after being handcuffed by police in Kearns

A man died shortly after being placed in handcuffs by Unified police during a weekend domestic violence investigation in Kearns. Salt Lake police are now investigating the death.

A man died shortly after being placed in handcuffs by Unified police during a weekend domestic violence investigation in Kearns. Salt Lake police are now investigating the death. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)


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KEARNS — A man who may have suffered an unknown medical condition died over the weekend shortly after being detained by police during a domestic violence investigation.

Unified police were called at 11:58 p.m. Friday to a home near 5350 South and 5500 West on a report of a domestic violence incident involving weapons. A man with a weapon was threatening family members, said Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race. Police have not said what that weapon was.

By the time officers arrived, one of the family members was able to pin the man down and hold him until police got there, Race said. Police entered the home and handcuffed the man. But almost immediately, the officers noticed that the man was not breathing properly and needed medical attention.

The handcuffs were taken off and officers provided medical help, according to Race. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene after medical crews arrived.

Due to the man being placed in handcuffs and passing away, Race said an officer-involved critical incident protocol was launched out of an abundance of caution. The death will be investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department, which will then turn its findings over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

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Pat Reavy, KSLPat Reavy
Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
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