Man who died in Maryland State Police custody suffered seizures before troopers responded, investigation finds

BALTIMORE — A person who died within the custody of Maryland State Police suffered seizures for practically 20 minutes earlier than troopers responded to help him, in accordance with an investigation by the Maryland Legal professional Basic’s Workplace. 

Armar Womack, a 64-year-old man from Delaware, was arrested final January underneath suspicion of driving underneath the affect. Alone in a cell on the MSP Centreville Barrack, Womack allegedly took cocaine shortly earlier than struggling seizures and ultimately dying. 

Within the 34-page report, investigators mentioned the troopers’ written descriptions of the incident could possibly be seen as understating Womack’s situation and overstating the eye officers had been paying to him.  

The Impartial Investigations Division of the AG’s workplace is tasked with investigating deaths involving regulation enforcement in Maryland. The company gives its findings to prosecutors, who resolve whether or not to pursue expenses.  

The Queen Anne’s County State’s Legal professional’s Workplace selected Dec. 7 to not prosecute the case, about three weeks after it was despatched the report. 

Troopers conducting a visitors cease on Jan. 22, 2022, arrested Womack and accused him of possession of marijuana and cocaine. He was aware and conscious of questions on the time of his arrest, in accordance with authorities.  

Investigators discovered that Womack fell to the ground shortly after placing cocaine in his mouth, which he allegedly took virtually instantly after being left alone. 

Womack allegedly alternated between banging on the cell door and mendacity on the ground for 18 minutes, struggling a number of seizures, earlier than he “skilled a big seizure,” which is when troopers responded and known as for medics.

Troopers mentioned in written experiences of the incident that Womack was being monitored by way of video, however investigators discovered {that a} corporal tasked with monitoring the cameras typically had his again to the display and was checking his telephone. A sergeant was alleged to examine on Womack each half-hour, however didn’t, the report mentioned. 

Investigators mentioned the Sergeant’s report “understates or omits a number of indicators of medical misery.” The sergeant reported that Womack mentioned he was “nice,” however a overview of the video confirmed him to be “shouting and gesticulating emphatically.”

Investigators mentioned in a telephone name on the evening of the incident, the sergeant informed a lieutenant that he despatched officers into the cell inside 30 seconds of Womack falling to the ground. 

One other man introduced into the cell allegedly informed troopers Womack wanted Narcan, however he was instructed to maintain quiet, the report mentioned. 

When Womack skilled the “bigger seizure,” a trooper opened the door and EMS was known as. It took paramedics 16 minutes to reach, however inside 5 minutes of their arrival, Womack was discovered to have stopped respiratory, with no pulse. He was declared useless in a hospital about an hour later. 

An post-mortem discovered Womack died of “Cocaine Intoxication Complicating Hypertensive Cardiovascular Illness.”