Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — UPDATED: The City of Playa del Carmen has confirmed the suspension of five police officers. The officers were officially suspended Wednesday after a medical report revealed a man in their custody died of unnatural causes.
The five SSC (Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana) officers, who have not been named, were part of the Sunday afternoon arrest of a local fisherman from his boat. The 33 year old man was taken into custody in central Playa del Carmen around 4:00 p.m. after public reports of his aggressiveness.
Police arrived and proceeded to arrest him. At the time of his arrest, from his behavior, he was determined to have been under a substance influence. He was transferred to the city jail then hospital less than two hours later where he died.
A medical examine has since revealed that 33 year old Pablo “B” died of asphyxiation and a severe head fracture. According to the medical report, asphyxia and bronchoaspiration were the primary causes of death with “other causes” listed as intracranial hemorrhage and severe head trauma.
In a statement, Ayuntamiento de Playa Del Carmen reported “To the people of Playa del Carmen: The Playa del Carmen Government informs that five members of the Secretariat of Citizen Security have been preemptively suspended from their positions in connection with an investigation into the death of a person in the federal maritime land zone and CTM Avenue on September 21.
“The measure was determined by the Council of Honor and Justice, at the request of the Directorate of Internal Affairs, in order to determine responsibility and guarantee due process.
“The City Council reiterates its cooperation with the ministerial authorities in charge of the investigation, ensuring transparency and impartiality at all times. There will be no impunity or cover-up. Accountability is a commitment of this government.”
UPDATED SEPT. 25: After publication, the State Attorney General (FGE) released an official statement regarding the arrest and subsequent death of Pablo “B”. In their statement, they reported “in relation to a man who was arrested for disturbing public order in a beach area on September 22 of this year, that after performing an autopsy, it was determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to bronchoaspiration.
“The above was caused by the ingestion of food prior to the incident and derived from the high degree of intoxication from the use of methamphetamine and cocaine, according to the results of the legal autopsy and toxicological examination, respectively.
“The now deceased was arrested in the beach area, as he was wandering around naked and was drugged, so he was taken to the Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat facilities where the doctor on duty determined that he was not fit to be sent to a cell and ordered his transfer to the hospital.
“It is worth mentioning that, upon admission to the hospital, the patient was upset and presented excessive sweating and dilated pupils. According to the medical report, in the following hours he suffered seizures resulting from poisoning from ingesting harmful substances and subsequently died.
“After this, staff from this Social Representation transferred the body to the Forensic Medical Service, where the autopsy showed that the suspect died of asphyxiation caused by bronchoaspiration. In addition, the toxicology test was positive for methamphetamine and cocaine use.”
