A 25-year-old man died Monday night while in Hartford police custody.
Sources say the man, who has been identified as Aaron Robinson, of Hartford, died after a scuffle with police officers who were conducting a drug investigation at 6:49 p.m. on Sigourney Street.
Police say they found narcotics and money. When police tried to detain the five people, they scattered.
Robinson, police said, got into a fight with two police officers who tried to detain him. He broke free and ran to Collins Street, where the officers caught up to him.
There, Robinson continued to fight with police, police said. They took him into custody and brought back to 195 Sigourney St.
According to sources, Robinson declined medical treatment and was walking and talking for about 30 minutes before going into cardiac arrest. He suddenly became unconscious, police said, and they called EMS. The man was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Because Robinson died while in police custody, state police are investigating. They were at the scene all night, trying to determine what led to the man’s dying.
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Robinson appeared to have a minor head injury, state police said in a news release. They did not see any other injury.
"Our concern as a union is, of course, full transparency. That's why we are out here tonight. That's why we will continue to have communication with the media. Our union members will cooperate with any investigation," Richard Rodriguez, president of the Hartford Police Union, said.
At this point, it's unclear if the Hartford officer and detective are on administrative leave.
An autopsy will be conducted today.
