Report: Raleigh man who died in police custody was sedated

Carl Devince King, 52, died early Monday after being taken into custody by Raleigh police officers who responded to a 911 call about King acting erratically and possibly breaking into a neighbor's home before attacking his roommate.

Officers found King sitting naked in the entryway of his home on Slippery Elm Drive, yelling, sweating profusely and swinging a lamp back and forth, according to the report from Raleigh police.

Officers grabbed the lamp and were able to handcuff King's hands in front of his body.

"During this time, Mr. King continued to resist the officers and tried to bite them, all while screaming loudly and making growling sounds," the report stated.

The officers called for backup and EMS. When help arrived, the officers were able to remove the handcuffs, roll King over and reapply the cuffs behind his back "in an attempt to better control him," the report stated.

EMS workers administered "a standard dosage of Versed," which is a sedative, to try to calm King. Soon after, they noticed his breathing was shallow and he had become unresponsive. The handcuffs were removed and EMS personnel began performing CPR.

According to the report, resuscitation efforts continued for 40 minutes until King was declared dead.

A preliminary examination by the medical examiner did not reveal an obvious cause of death. An autopsy and a toxicology test will be performed, officials said

Cassandra Morris, King's roommate who called 911 to say he was "going crazy," told WRAL News that King had been drinking and taking medications and "just snapped."

"He was just running through the house yelling. I was trying to calm him down, trying to get him a shower, but the shower didn't do him no good," she said.

Police have been called to the home more than a dozen times over the past two years, according to Raleigh Police Department records, including calls for an attempted suicide and domestic assaults.

Master Officer S.A. Brown, Senior Officer A.L. Council, Officer C.J. Flagler, Officer A.J. Williams and Sgt. D.R. Williams have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of a State Bureau of Investigation review of the incident, which is standard procedure. The Raleigh Police Department is conducting its own internal investigation to determine whether officers followed policy.