Oroville Man Becomes Unresponsive, Dies During Arrest; Deputies Not at Fault
OROVILLE — On January 12th at around 5 AM, deputies responded to a residence on Cox Lane after a man reported that his father — who suffered from severe physical and mental health issues — had stopped taking his medication and was making statements about committing suicide.
Deputies were advised before their arrival that the man, later identified as 65-year-old Marc Chiasson, Sr., had been trying to get his hands on a shotgun kept at the home in a locked safe.
Chiasson became irate as soon as deputies arrived and handcuffs were needed. Though Chiasson straightened his arms and struggled to prevent himself from being cuffed, deputies utilized a wrist-lock control hold and were able to apply the cuffs successfully. No other physical force was used.
As Chiasson was being escorted to the patrol car, he appeared to have difficulty walking and soon became unresponsive. Although his vital signs appeared normal and his pulse steady, deputies radioed dispatch and requested the assistance of medical personnel. While they were en route, deputies noticed that Chiasson’s pulse had stopped and that his eyes had become unresponsive to light. He was promptly removed from the car, un-cuffed, and deputies began to administer CPR.
Medical personnel arrived and took over, but ultimately to no avail. Chiasson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Since Chiasson’s death occurred while in police custody, an independent investigation by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office was commissioned by the Sheriff’s Department. The investigation found that details were consistent with the reports given by deputies, with no indication that their actions had contributed to his death. It was also discovered that Chiasson had a number of medical issues which are due to be examined during the autopsy.
The investigation remains ongoing. Read the official Butte County Sheriff’s Office press release for more details.
