Man Dies in the Custody of Schenectady Police

The girlfriend of the man who died in police custody says the Schenectady Police did not do enough.

Susan Perry adds that police also did not believe the man's claims that he was feeling dizzy and was having trouble breathing.

"I was in the police station for over 15 minutes while they were doing my paperwork for me being arrested, before an officer came in and got the A.E.D. machine, and then, minutes after that, I heard the sirens, so he was out there for at least 20 minutes with no medical care."

Her boyfriend, Andrew Kearse, was pulled over by police for a traffic violation.

Police say Kearse then ran into a backyard.

The foot pursuit later ended, and Kearse was arrested.

Perry was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction of governmental administration.

Kearse was put into the back seat of a police car, where he complained that he was feeling dizzy, and was having trouble breathing.

Paramedics worked on him at the station, then he was taken by ambulance to Ellis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Perry says the police did not act fast enough.

"Justice, justice for him, that he's dead because they didn't get medical attention when he asked for it; my thing is, they could have brought him to the hospital, if he's saying he's having difficulty breathing and he's feeling dizzy, they could have brought him to the hospital."

State Police are now investigating the death.

Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford says people in the city want and deserve answers, and the State Police investigation is the right avenue to take.

Photo: Getty Images


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