| Date | July 18, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7:13 p.m. to 8:11 p.m. |
| Duration | 58 minutes |
| Location | Kitmore Road and Kelway Road New Northwood neighborhood Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°21′04″N 76°35′39″W / 39.350993°N 76.594250°W |
| Type | Death while in police custody |
| Cause | Cardiac arrhythmia, dehydration, positional asphyxia |
| Participants | Tyrone West 5 Baltimore police officers (directly) 1 Morgan State University officer (directly) 6 other law enforcement officers (on scene) |
| Inquiries | U.S. Department of Justice; Baltimore Police Department |
| Coroner | David Fowler |
| Charges | none |
| Litigation | Multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed on June 23, 2014 |
On July 18, 2013, Tyrone West, a 44-year-old African American male, was pursued by two officers of the Baltimore Police Department after he fled a traffic stop during which cocaine was allegedly found. The cocaine later went missing in police possession after a subpoena was issued.[1] West was on parole at the time of this incident with an extensive criminal record including assault, resisting arrest, and attempted first-degree murder.[2][3][4] West ultimately died during the scuffle with police and various medical experts have given conflicting assessments of contributing factors including cardiac arrhythmia, dehydration, positional asphyxia, and extreme environmental temperatures.[5][6][1][7]
The incident fueled tension in the North Baltimore community, playing a contributing factor in the eventual Baltimore riots of 2015.[8] The death of West drew attention from notable African American leaders including U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and celebrity Charles Barkley.[1][9][10]
Three separate investigations, both internal and external, repeatedly exonerated the officers involved, but a series of police actions were identified that negatively impacted the encounter.[11] The incident, and subsequent recommendations made by an independent panel, encouraged the police department to make significant procedural changes.[6]