A drug overdose caused the death of a Harlem man who passed out during a scuffle with cops in late May, the city medical examiner said Monday.
Edwin Garcia, 39, was arguing with a roommate at his 116th Street apartment May 27 when family members called 911, hoping police could subdue him, authorities said.
He had been drinking tequila and apparently doing cocaine that night, according to the ME’s report.
When police arrived, they cuffed Garcia and brought him into the hallway, where he continued flailing, police said.
He suddenly passed out while in handcuffs, authorities said. EMS workers attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at Metropolitan Hospital.
The medical examiner said Monday that his death was an accident caused by “acute cocaine intoxication.”
The NYPD said an investigation into Garcia’s death is ongoing by the Force Investigation Division and the Office of the New York State Attorney General.