SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A man who died in police custody with a plastic bag in his throat tested positive for lethal levels methamphetamine, according to a report from the Sacramento County coroner.
Sacramento Police released the findings and body camera video from the July 31 death of 42-year-old George Knox.
Police say a plastic baggie was found in his throat.
Knox was one of five people who was loitering near a dumpster on the 5200 block of Stockton Boulevard in the early morning hours of July 31.
Police say Knox had a felony no-bail warrant from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The officer found narcotics paraphernalia and prescription medication in Knox’s pocket. He was placed in handcuffs in the back seat of the officer’s vehicle while he confirmed the warrant.
Video released by Sacramento Police shows an officer reading Knox his rights and asking if Knox had something in his mouth and asking about the pipe and drugs that were found on his possession. The officer notices Knox shaking and asks for a call for medical help.
While waiting for medics, the officer asks Knox what he wants to be done with his possessions and doesn’t get a clear answer from Knox.
OFFICER: “Hey, did you swallow a bunch of drugs before we got here? Why are you shaking so much?”
Knox eventually responds saying he’s high. When asked if he was going to be OK, he says “yes.”
Knox continues to shake when the officer later asks what’s in his mouth, to which Knox responds “nothing.”
The coroner’s office has not released a cause of death for Knox.
This story originally appeared on CBS Sacramento on Aug. 16, 2018.