Allegheny County Police investigate Pittsburgh police in-custody death

Allegheny County Police homicide detectives Friday were investigating the death of a man overnight while in Pittsburgh police custody.

The man, identified as 29-year-old James Richard Brown Jr. by the Medical Examiner’s Office, was behaving erratically and trying to get into a city police vehicle and was “taken to the ground” by Pittsburgh police around 2:53 a.m. Friday in the city’s Mt. Washington neighborhood, according to county police.

He went into cardiac arrest while being treated by paramedics and died at a hospital, county police said.

The incident began around 2:43 a.m. when Brown got out of a still-running vehicle in the 800 block of Saw Mill Run Boulevard, according to investigators. The vehicle drifted into a building and Brown walked away.

Jim Madalinsky, a county police spokesperson, said Brown was the driver and there did not appear to be anyone else in the vehicle.

Brown was then seen walking in and out of traffic, approaching vehicles and trying to get into a pickup at Bausman Street and Saw Mill Run Boulevard at the intersection of Mt. Washington and Bon Air.

Police said the pickup dragged Brown toward Warrington Avenue.

County 911 dispatched Pittsburgh police at 2:46 a.m. Seven minutes later, officers encountered him at Saw Mill Run and Warrington.

County police said Brown tried to get into a Pittsburgh police vehicle and refused commands before he was placed into custody.

Madalinsky said Pittsburgh police did not use any weapons to subdue him.

He said investigators had obtained video but would not disclose what portion of the incident it involved.

Brown had “noticeable” head injuries, Madalinsky said, as well as road rash on his body, according to county police.

Madalinsky said Brown was conscious when paramedics arrived.

Cara Cruz, a Pittsburgh police spokesperson, said the two patrol officers who took Brown into custody are on paid administrative leave, as is protocol.

Two other officers who witnessed the arrest were not placed on leave, Cruz said.

Pittsburgh police did not answer numerous questions about the incident — including how many officers were involved, what specific type of force was used and when Pittsburgh notified the county — and instead referred TribLive to county police.

Madalinsky said he could not provide certain details, such as whether detectives had identified the pickup or driver involved in the dragging, because the incident remained under investigation.

Anyone with information can call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.