CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 40-year-old Cleveland man who died after a police officer shocked him with a Taser had heart disease.
The electric shock had nothing to do with the death of Rodney Brown Sr., according to the Cuyahoga County coroner's office.
Brown died of "cardiopulmonary arrest following physical exertion during law enforcement activity," spokesman Powell Caesar said.
Contributing factors were "hypertensive cardiovascular disease" and "chronic pulmonary disease," Caesar said.
Patrol officers stopped Brown's car about 8:40 p.m. Dec. 31 at East 113th Street and Benham Avenue, near his home, for a traffic offense.
Brown "became uncooperative and combative," Sgt. Keith Campbell said. Brown then ran. Officers caught him a block and a half away, where he resisted arrest until more officers arrived and Brown was stunned with a Taser, Campbell said.
Brown appeared to suffer cardiac arrest and was taken to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead at 10:25 p.m. Patrolman Belan Ilain suffered bruises.
Brown's family criticized the use of force after a traffic offense. They said he was shocked at least twice. There were no warrants for his arrest.
The city's Use of Deadly Force and Integrity Control teams have not yet completed their investigations.
