A man died after becoming unresponsive while in Gaithersburg police custody

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (7News) — A man who became unresponsive during police custody Tuesday evening in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has died, prompting an investigation by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office of Independent Investigations (IID).

Around 10:15 p.m., officers from the Gaithersburg Police Department responded to a report of a disturbance in the 300 block of N. Summit Avenue. When law enforcement officers arrived, they found a man lying on the ground near an apartment building.

The man, who was conscious but “covered in blood” and “acting erratically,” got up and walked away from the building, state officials said.

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At the time, authorities said officers grabbed the man, placed him on the ground and held him while waiting for fire and rescue units.

During this time, the man lost consciousness and stopped breathing, officials said.

Police officers provided emergency medical aid to the victim until the arrival of fire and rescue units, which took him away and transported him to the district hospital. Two days later, on December 26, he was pronounced dead.

In accordance with IID policy, it plans to release the identity of the man and the officers involved. Additionally, within 20 business days of an incident, IID generally releases body camera footage.

The cause of the man’s death is being established.