NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man was pronounced dead in a Bronx hospital while in police custody following a bizarre interaction with first responders where he headbutted an on-duty EMT, the NYPD said.
At 10:21 a.m. Friday morning police responded to an EMS request for police assistance at 595 Prospect Ave., near Beck Street in the Bronx, officials said.
When police arrived, EMS had already taken a 49-year-old man to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the South Bronx.
The Daily News reported that EMS were called to help the man who was suffering from injuries related to a previous car crash.
Responders requested help from the NYPD because the man struggled and refused treatment as they tried to get him into an ambulance, according to the Daily News report.
Police met up with medical personnel and discovered that the man had headbutted a 33-year-old EMT before he was rushed to the hospital with a head injury, law enforcement said.
While being treated for his injuries, the man was taken into police custody, officials said.
He was later pronounced dead.
The EMT had minor injuries as a result of the headbutt, but did not require medical attention.
The NYPD Force Investigation Division, which determines whether excessive force was used against people in police custody, is investigating the incident, police said.
Identification of the deceased is pending family notification.