Tyrone West-One Year Later

(This is my friend and he has been actively protesting on behalf of his family member for 1 year. The family is still not satisfied with the outcome. May the fight continue.)

BALTIMORE - An independent review concluded that Baltimore Police officers were not at fault for the 2013 death of a city resident who resisted arrest. The review, released Friday, stated that Tyrone West died suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, while engaged in a “lawful arrest” with police last year during an altercation. The review board stated that the officers did not “employ force beyond that which was necessary and reasonable. “The officers involved used less-than-lethal weapons and defensive tactics to attempt to control, restrain, and arrest Mr. West,” reviewers wrote.  West died in police custody last July after he was pulled over on Kelway Road in Northeast Baltimore.  The report stated that the officers involved in the altercation did stray away from many police practices and made several errors during the arrest.  “The officers involved departed from some policies and training and made several tactical errors that may have extended the length of the physical encounter, compromised officer safety and potentially aggravated the situation,” the report wrote.  Reviewers recommended that Baltimore City police implement the use of a Deadly Force Review Board to examine how officers use tactics when taking people into custody.  Shortly after West’s death, his family and witnesses who saw the arrest claimed excessive force by the officers may have caused his death.  The officers did not face charges after Maryland State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein concluded police were acting in a lawful manner.  Bernstein did not release his findings until Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked for it, nearly 120 days after the incident.