The medical examiner has determined the cause of death for Courtney Ross, the 19-year-old who died last year while in the custody of Memphis Police Department (MPD). As stated in a report by Action News 5, autopsy records released classified his death as an accident, resulting from the "complications of drugs and environmental heat exposure."
On August 11, 2023, Ross was involved in a police chase after he allegedly was seen going through mailboxes. He was later placed in a squad car, where officers discovered him to be unresponsive moments later. A report by FOX13 Memphis details that at the time of Ross' detainment, it was reported to be up to 94 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 106 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions which were likely to have significantly contributed to worsening his condition.
According to the same FOX13 Memphis report, the immediate cause of death was complications from cocaine, methamphetamine, and ethanol toxicity. Ross was caught and handcuffed by police after a property owner reported him for rummaging through boxes of rat poison near South Idlewild Street and Madison Avenue. He began resisting arrest and appeared exhausted after being apprehended.
Medical records obtained by the same source reveal that Ross also had a sickle cell trait, which might have played a role in the tragic outcome. "The environmental and physical factors, in combination with the presence of stimulants in his bloodstream, all likely contributed to his hyperthermic state," the examiner wrote. Ross was pronounced dead at Methodist University Hospital at 1:20 p.m. The Daily Memphian also reported on the autopsy, citing the mix of drugs and heat exhaustion as the critical factors in Ross's death, in an article found here.
His passing raises concerns about police custody conditions and the factors that might influence the welfare of those detained, especially under extreme environmental conditions. The MPD has not issued any comment on the medical examiner's findings as of this report.
