Oklahoma City police have opened an investigation into the death of a man allegedly choked and punched by EMSA personnel treating him at a downtown bus stop, authorities said Wednesday.
Jason Marshall, 42, died Aug. 8, two days after fighting with fire department and EMSA workers checking on his medical condition, court papers show.
“It is under investigation as a suspicious death at this time,” Oklahoma City police Capt. Dexter Nelson said Wednesday. “We are investigating to determine what, if anything, happened.”
Marshall died of natural causes, a spokeswoman for the state medical examiner's office said Wednesday. The spokeswoman, Amy Elliott, said Marshall died of congestive heart failure. A toxicology report is not ready, she said.
Police investigators seized 448 pages of medical records Wednesday from St. Anthony Hospital, where Marshall died, and 12 pages of medical records from EMSA.
“Emergency medical personnel are often put in situations that can be dangerous,” EMSA said in a statement. “This report was investigated internally by EMSA and Paramedics Plus and externally by the office of the medical director. Federal privacy laws for the patient prohibit EMSA and Paramedics Plus from responding further.”
