Police say a medical issue caused Savannah man to die after foot chase on New Year’s Eve
A medical issue led to the death of a 36-year-old man who died in Savannah Police Department’s custody on New Year’s Eve, according to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Officers initially responded to a call at City Market about a man with a gun, the release said. Officers identified the man as Charles Garrett III of Savannah. When they approached him, he ran away and the gun fell to the ground, the release said.
Officers chased Garrett from City Market, through the Bohemian Hotel, and onto River Street.
When he was taken into custody, he complained that he was having breathing problems and was checked by EMS, who said his vitals were normal, the release said. Garrett was waiting to be taken to the hospital by police for further testing when he “experienced a medical issue which required immediate attention,” the release said.
He was taken to Memorial University Medical Center by ambulance where he was later pronounced dead, the release said.
The GBI Crime Lab in Savannah will perform an autopsy on Garrett to determine his cause of death, the release said.
This story was originally published January 2, 2019 at 1:36 PM.
