An in-custody death is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Force Investigation Division after a 55-year-old man arrested for a vehicle code violation later died at the Valley Jail Section. The individual, identified as Steven Miller, was stopped by Mission Area uniformed patrol officers on March 9, around 1:15 a.m., at which point it was discovered that he had an outstanding felony warrant and had illegal narcotics, as reported on the LAPD official website.
Miller was subsequently booked into a Valley Jail Section, where he disclosed to medical staff working at the facility that he was a heroin user going through withdrawal symptoms. In a disturbing turn two days later, on the morning of March 11, Miller collapsed in his cell, sustaining a head injury. The LAPD's report on their official site states that he initially hit his head on a toilet, stood up, and then fell again, striking his head on the cement floor.
After Miller was discovered by another detainee who alerted jail personnel, the team quickly transferred him to the jail's medical dispensary for immediate treatment. The situation took a dire turn when Miller began to experience breathing difficulties and subsequently lost consciousness. The Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene, but despite their efforts, Miller was unresponsive and pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner then took custody of Miller's body, moving it to their Forensic Science Center to conduct an autopsy, the results of which are still pending. The LAPD's Force Investigation Division is actively investigating the incident, as indicated in a statement released by the department.
