EL DORADO — Authorities are investigating after a 36-year-old man died while he was being detained by the Union County sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office says the incident happened late Tuesday as deputies were responding to a disturbance call. The El Dorado News-Times reported that deputies encountered Eric Smith of El Dorado and chased him into a wooded area.
The sheriff's office said Smith was captured and placed in handcuffs, and deputies were able to briefly interview him. The sheriff's office said Smith then stopped breathing, and deputies performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.