A 51-year-old man died while in police custody Friday morning in western Arkansas after his arrest stemming from an early morning traffic stop, officials said.
The Arkansas State Police said Darrell K. Hays II died after suffering an apparent medical emergency while being booked into the Sebastian County jail.
The agency said two Fort Smith police officers stopped Hays after midnight and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. Police said they also found drug paraphernalia during the stop.
State officials said Hays began having unknown medical troubles while at the jail. He died shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
Hays' body was transported to the state Crime Lab for further investigation into how he died, State Police said.
Fort Smith police said in a statement that nothing indicated Hays' death was from police action.
The department said it placed two officers on paid leave, pending the conclusion of a state investigation.
State Police plan to forward its findings to the local prosecutor.
State Desk on 04/20/2019