Man dies after being taken into State Police custody at Montgomery motel
Police responded to the Super 8 Motel in Montgomery around 11:30 p.m. Monday and found a man in an agitated state inside a motel room.
A 36-year-old man died early Tuesday after being taken into custody by New York State Police at the Super 8 Motel in the Town of Montgomery.
Troopers were called to the motel on Montgomery Road around 11:30 p.m. Monday for what State Police described as a disturbance.
Emergency communications reviewed by News 12 provide more detail about the initial call. A dispatcher reported a “threat” in Room 309 involving someone who said a person was trying to “kill him with a gun.” The dispatcher later relayed that the caller had not seen a firearm or anyone threatening him and was hiding in a closet. The caller also reported drugs were inside the room.
Emergency communications indicate authorities on scene requested mental health assistance.
A source who provided News 12 with photos of the room said the incident was understood to have involved a mental health crisis and that a possible overdose was suspected. The photos show extensive damage inside the room, including a broken toilet, debris scattered across the bathroom floor and items strewn throughout the room. State Police have not confirmed a possible overdose or released a cause of death.
State Police say troopers encountered a 36-year-old man in an agitated state and took him into custody. He initially remained conscious, and EMS was called because of his condition.
Police say the man later became unresponsive and was taken by ambulance to Garnet Health Medical Center, where he went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead around 4:19 a.m.
The man’s identity has not yet been released pending notification of his family.
State Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Attorney General’s Office says its Office of Special Investigation is also conducting a preliminary assessment, which is standard when a person dies in or immediately following police custody.
