VENICE, Calif. – A possibly intoxicated man suspected of causing a traffic crash in Venice and then running away died after Los Angeles Police Department officers used a stun gun on him while trying to arrest him, police said Friday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Venice and Lincoln boulevards around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, according to the LAPD.
A West Traffic Division officer was flagged down. Witnesses told the officer the man who caused the crash was running in the middle of the street and exhibiting erratic behavior, police said.
The officer then contacted Keenan Anderson and talked to him, then requested backup for a DUI investigation, police said.
As the backup began to arrive, Anderson suddenly bolted from the scene with officers giving chase, the LAPD reported.
Anderson ran in the middle of Venice Boulevard. When officers caught up to him, Anderson allegedly began to resist. Officers used a stun gun, bodyweight, firm grips and joint locks in an attempt to overcome Anderson’s alleged resistance, police said.
Anderson was eventually handcuffed and hobbled at the ankles by police. Shortly after his arrest, Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were called to the scene to render medical aid to Anderson because of the use of force, the LAPD reported.
Anderson was then taken to a hospital in Santa Monica where he later went into cardiac arrest and died, police said.
One officer suffered minor injuries.
The in-custody death was being investigated by the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shooting team.
