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No Cause Of Death Yet In Case Of Man Who Died After Police Chase

File

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office has not yet determined why a man died after a police chase. 

 

25-year-old Dean Alexander Smith died Tuesday night about a half hour after an Evansville Police K-9 caught him near Barker and Forest avenues.

Coroner Steve Lockyear told WNIN that an autopsy was conducted Wednesday evening but there was no trauma found that could be related to the death.

Lockyear said he’s waiting for toxicology testing and other lab tests, which will take about 3 weeks.

After the police dog took Smith down, he could be heard on police video saying he couldn't breathe.

The video catches a sergeant saying "Buddy, you are being overly dramatic."

EPD Sgt. Nick Winsett told news media that officers at that point had no idea that Smith had a serious medical issue…

"If any of these officers thought for a second he had some major medical issues going on, what they said would have been totally different."

AMR took Smith to Deaconess Midtown Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith had fled from officers in a car and then on foot. He was wanted in connection with battery and confinement charges. 

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