Wednesday, July 28, 2021 | 9:10 p.m.
An arrestee, described as acting erratically and resisting officers, died in Metro Police custody Wednesday morning.
The man, who lost consciousness shortly after arriving at the Clark County Detention Center, was declared dead at University Medical Center, police said.
His interaction with police began about 5 a.m. when officers were summoned to a hotel in the 3500 block of Paradise Road, near the north Strip.
A hotel employee reported that the man had "damaged" the front door of the property and was "yelling and not making sense" inside, police said.
Hotel security was unable to detain the man because he was fighting them, police said.
Metro officers chased the man outside where they "contained him," but that's when he punched an officer in the face, police said.
Officers swatted him back with open hands, cuffed him, and he was put on his side in a recovery position that allows people to breathe better, police said.
But the man did not stop fighting and he kicked an officer, prompting police to tie his legs together, Metro said.
While in a squad car on his way to jail, the man repeatedly slammed his head against a window, police said.
He hadn't spent a long time in jail before he became unresponsive, police said.
The man will be publicly identified by the Clark County Coroner's Office, which also will determine his cause of death.
