NEWS
APD investigating death of man after he was taken into custody
Agency says 40-year-old experienced medical emergency, died at a hospital after officers used a Taser during arrest on I-40
Published
Police said a knife-carrying man who was shocked by Albuquerque police after running in traffic lanes on Interstate 40 suffered "a serious medical emergency" and died after being taken into custody.
Dyonte Layne Lindsey, 40, died in a hospital after being arrested by police Monday, said Gilbert Gallegos, spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department. The agency was informed of Lindsey's death Wednesday morning, but it's unclear whether he died late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Around 8:30 p.m. Monday, officers were dispatched after a person called 911 and said a man — later identified as Lindsey — was running in traffic lanes on I-40 between Coors and Unser NW, Gallegos said. The caller also said Lindsey seemed to be experiencing hallucinations.
Officers approached Lindsey and asked him to get out of the road when they saw he had a pocketknife in his hand, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. An officer later said Lindsey was close by and he was concerned about an "imminent battery."
"Lindsey ignored commands to drop the knife and as he turned to walk back into traffic lanes, an officer deployed his Taser," Gallegos said.
Additional officers arrived to help take Lindsey into custody as he resisted being handcuffed, according to the complaint.
"The Multi-Agency Task Force will continue to investigate and analyze this incident," Gallegos said. "Detectives will interview any new witnesses that come forward and complete any forensic tests. APD's Internal Affairs Force Division will also investigate the incident to determine whether the department’s policies were followed."
Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.
