Following the March 30, officer-involved death of Irving Martinez, 30, of Aurora, a review completed by Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser found “no wrongdoing on the part of the Aurora police officers involved in the incident.”
An investigation into the incident was conducted by the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force.
On March 30, the Aurora Police Department responded to the Speedway Gas Station at 948 N. Farnsworth Ave., where they found Martinez in the bathroom, “screaming and acting erratically,” according to a release by Mosser’s office.
“The toilet had been detached from the wall, flooding the floor with water,” the release states. “Martinez gave the officers his name and said he had taken cocaine that was ‘probably laced.’”
The release detailing the investigation says officers offered Martinez drinking water and tried to calm him down, “but he continued to act extremely agitated, splashing water from the floor onto himself and screaming incoherently.”
When paramedics arrived, officers attempted to move Martinez from the bathroom into the ambulance, but Martinez was “uncooperative, physically resisting officers and yelling,” according to the release.
“Determining Martinez to be a danger to himself and others, paramedics administered two rounds of a sedative seven minutes apart,” the state’s attorney’s release says. “After the second sedative was administered, Martinez was moved onto the stretcher and handcuffed. After a few minutes, he became unresponsive.”
Authorities said the handcuffs were then removed, paramedics performed CPR and Martinez was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy performed by the Kane County Coroner’s Office found that Martinez’s death was from cocaine toxicity, withhypertensive cardiovascular disease being a significant contributing factor, according to the release.
“Based on a review of the evidence, the Aurora officers had probable cause to arrest Martinez and attempted to de-escalate the situation using the proper amount of force,” Mosser said in the release. “Officers prioritized the medical issues presented.”
Mosser said in addition to the coroner’s findings, the pathologist “opined that the restraint used by the Aurora Police or Fire Departments did not exacerbate or contribute to the death of Martinez.”
Mosser said the officers followed “every relevant policy” of the department and state statutes.
“There is no evidence or indication that any police officer committed any unlawful acts or failed to follow any policy or the law,” Mosser said in the release, adding her office’s review is now closed.
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