Suffolk County police officers were patrolling a Huntington Station park on Tuesday afternoon when a man ran from them. Victor Santos, 62, was later pronounced dead at Huntington Hospital after he became unresponsive in police custody, according to Huntington Now. Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are now investigating his death.
The Suffolk County Police Department stated that officers from the Second Precinct’s anti-crime unit first encountered Santos around 1:20 p.m. during a patrol check at Alfred J. Walker Memorial Park. He fled on foot as they approached, and police said officers who recognized him ran a records check showing he was wanted on a parole warrant.
About 30 minutes later, witnesses pointed officers to a grassy area near the South Huntington Water District on Fifth Avenue South, where Santos was hiding. Police said an officer ordered him not to move, and Santos was handcuffed while facedown on the ground. However, when officers turned him over, they discovered he was unresponsive.
Police still haven’t said what caused his death
The officers on the scene attempted to help him immediately, as he was no longer responding. They started administering CPR and used a defibrillator to try and stabilize him. Despite these medical efforts, Santos was pronounced dead after he was taken to the hospital.
Officers also gave him Narcan, which is an anti-overdose medication, according to the department announcement. The drug reverses opioid overdoses and has no effect on someone without opioids in their system, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The institute notes that police officers and other first responders are trained to give it…