Update: Harold Easter died Sunday as a result of the “medical emergency” he experienced while in police custody. CMPD has not said what caused Easter to lose consciousness after he was arrested Thursday on a drug charge.
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A man in police custody experienced a “life-threatening medical emergency” while he was being processed on a drug charge, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported Friday.
CMPD identified the man as Harold Easter, age 41. As of late Friday, Easter was still being treated at a hospital for a “life-threatening condition,” the department said.
According to a police report, Easter was arrested Thursday around 11:40 a.m. after patrol officers saw a “suspected drug transaction” near the intersection of Whisnant and Burton streets near Genesis Park, which is just north of uptown. Easter was arrested and taken to CMPD’s Metro Division when he “began experiencing a medical emergency and lost consciousness.”
Police did not say what triggered the medical emergency.
At the time of his arrest, Police said, Easter was found to be in possession of cocaine and marijuana.
CMPD’s homicide unit is investigating what happened. The department’s Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting a separate investigation to determine whether the officers involved followed departmental policies and procedures.
Fatal shooting in southwest Charlotte
A 20-year-old man was shot and killed in southwest Charlotte late Friday. Police identified the victim as Brad Gregory Kelly.
A second man was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound described as non-life-threatening. Police were working to determine how the two men may have known one another.
The shootings were reported shortly after 8 p.m. in the Steele Creek division. Police found the victims in different locations but said the shootings happened in the 200 block of Stone Post Road, just north of East Arrowood Road.
