Police say they are investigating the death of a man who appeared intoxicated and went into medical distress while in custody, later dying at a hospital.
Officers with the Fort Smith Police Department were called around 7:55 p.m. Wednesday to the 1400 block of North 35th Street in Fort Smith in reference to a subject refusing to leave.
The resident told authorities that a man, later identified as 56-year-old Fred Rousseau, was lingering around her backyard, apparently under the influence of an unknown substance.
When police arrived, they found Rousseau sitting in the front yard drinking a beer, at which point they arrested him on a charge of public intoxication, according to a news release.
While being escorted to a patrol car, Rousseau tensed up and showed signs of developing a serious medical issue, prompting officers to remove his handcuffs and begin life-saving measures, police said.
Emergency medical personnel later responded and transported Rousseau to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.
An investigator learned from his family members that Rousseau may have had “undiagnosed medical issues,” the release states.
Rousseau’s body will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy. An investigation is ongoing.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.