A naked man who was covered in blood and went on violent rampage in a Long Island basement has died in police custody, officials said.
Walter Perez, 36, died after police subdued him and put him in handcuffs, said Nassau County police Lt. Det. Richard LeBrun.
When officers noticed he wasn't breathing, they immediately removed the handcuffs and attempting life-saving measures, but weren't able to revive him, LeBrun said.
Perez lived at the house on Doughty Boulevard where police were called about a disturbance, authorities said. The house has several rooms in the basement that were rented out, LeBrun said.
Officers arrived to find Perez covered in blood, believed to be his own from injuries he sustained from ripping down doors and breaking things in the home, police said. He also held up a "dangerous instrument," LeBrun said.
Officers deployed their tasers twice, but the stun guns had no effect on Perez, LeBrun said.
After a struggle, officers subdued Perez and handcuffed him, LeBrun said. Then they noticed he wasn't breathing, he said.
Local
Five officers were treated at a hospital for exposure to bodily fluids including blood, feces and saliva, LeBrun said.
The Nassau County Homicide Squad and the district attorney's office were investigating.
