What to Know
- An investigation is underway after a man died while in the custody of SEPTA police.
- The 39-year-old man was arrested for an alleged retail theft but was found unresponsive while being transported in a SEPTA police vehicle.
- Police tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Officials are investigating.
An investigation is underway after a man died while in the custody of SEPTA police.
The 39-year-old man was arrested Saturday at 8:10 a.m. for an alleged retail theft at the Walgreens store on Kensington and Allegheny avenues in Philadelphia.
Investigators say there was no struggle between the man and the officers and no force was used during the arrest.
While the man was being transported to the East Detective Division, he was found unresponsive in the back of a SEPTA Transit vehicle. SEPTA Police and 25th District officers initiated CPR and used Narcan to try and revive him, investigators said. The man was then taken to Episcopal Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m.
Investigators say body cameras worn by SEPTA officers were activated and the video inside the police vehicle is being uploaded. An autopsy on the unidentified man is also being performed.
Philadelphia Police are investigating the man’s death while SEPTA Transit Police are conducting an internal investigation to make sure all protocol was followed.
