The Aurora police officers involved in an incident in which an Aurora man, 30, died in March were found to have been involved in no wrongdoing, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser recently announced.
Mosser’s review of the incident is now closed.
On March 30, the Aurora Police Department responded to the Speedway gas station at 948 N. Farnsworth Ave. in Aurora, according to an investigation by the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force.
Upon arrival, officers found Irving Martinez, 30, in the bathroom “screaming and acting erratically,” a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said. The toilet had been detached from the wall and flooded the floor with water, the release said.
Martinez gave the responding officers his name and said he had taken cocaine that was “probably laced,” the news release said. He requested and was given drinking water while apparently overheating, and he drank the water and poured it on himself, according to the release.
Officers attempted to calm Martinez, but he continued acting “extremely agitated,” splashing water from the floor on himself and “screaming incoherently,” the release said.
Paramedics arrived, and officers attempted to move Martinez into the ambulance, the release said, but he physically resisted officers and yelled. Determining him to be a danger to himself and others, paramedics administered two rounds of a sedative seven minutes apart, according to officials.
After the sedatives were administered, Martinez was moved onto the stretcher and handcuffed, the release said, but became unresponsive after a few minutes. The handcuffs were removed, paramedics performed CPR and an ambulance took him to a hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead, officials said.
An autopsy by the Kane County Coroner’s Office later determined that Martinez’s death was due to cocaine toxicity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease being a significant contributing factor, the news release said.
“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 also noted in the release that the pathologist believed that the restraint used by the Aurora police and fire departments did not contribute to Martinez’s death.
“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.