Man who died in Milford police custody was due to heart attack: OIG

The Office of the Inspector General has released a report on its investigation into the death of a man while in Milford police custody last year.

Officers were called to Stop & Shop on Bridgeport Avenue on June 5, 2024, around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a man concealing items from the store.

The man, identified as Michael Brown, was identified by investigators as a well-known shoplifter and police reportedly had several active arrest warrants for Brown for shoplifting.

Authorities said two Stop & Shop loss prevention officers saw Brown enter the store, go down the detergent aisle, open a black trash bag and fill it with multiple cleaning products. During this, one of the loss prevention officers called the police and waited for Brown near the exit.

When Brown saw the loss prevention officer, authorities said he left the carriage with the concealed items in the store's front area and left the store before driving from the parking lot in a red Ford.

While investigating, police said they found the vehicle a short distance away at the Big Y on Boston Post Road. A passenger in the vehicle reported being with someone named Michael and as officers approached the store, they said they saw Brown exit and head to the parking lot.

Police asked Brown to identify himself and investigators said he gave a fake name before trying to get into the vehicle despite being told not to. The officers said they used force in pulling and pushing Brown from the driver's seat and handcuffed him.

In the parking lot, Brown was put on his side to help his breathing and complained of having a broken leg. He was provided water and the fire department was requested.

He was put into the ambulance and while on the stretcher, fire officials said Brown was breathing heavily and fast. He was given oxygen as he was transported to the hospital. Brown was also given Narcan because fire officials said they suspected narcotic intake.

Inside the ambulance Brown went limp and he lost his pulse. Once at the hospital, investigators said Brown was in cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated.

"The doctor indicated that, while the cause of Brown's death was a heart attack, it was the struggle with the police led to the heart attack," the report said.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Brown suffered from cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It was determined he also tested positive for fentanyl and oxycodone.

In the report, the Office of the Inspector General said "the officers did not use excessive force in extracting him from the vehicle he was in, nor placing him in handcuffs. His medical reaction was not due to the officers' use of force, but to his precarious medical condition, which under the stress of the struggle, caused Brown to go into cardiac arrest."

"I do not find that Brown's death was due to excessive force by the police nor to any criminality," the Office of the Inspector General added.

No further action is expected by the Office of the Inspector General.