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Inmate Dies After Arrest On Drug Charges In San Jose

SAN JOSE (BCN) -- A man who was brought to Santa Clara County's Main Jail in San Jose on Tuesday evening to be booked on drug charges died at a hospital after suffering a medical problem, authorities said.

The inmate, who has not yet been identified, was in the process of being booked around 8:30 p.m. when he began acting erratically and appeared to be having a medical episode, sheriff's Sgt. Rick Sung said.

He was transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said.

A special police operations unit arrested the man, along with an accomplice, around 4:50 p.m. Tuesday at St. James Park, Lopez said. Officers believed that the suspect and his accomplice were selling methamphetamine, Lopez said.

Police are trying to determine whether the man had ingested methamphetamine at the time of his arrest, he said.

"A preliminary investigation reveals that he may have ingested a form of controlled substance, but that is still under investigation," Lopez said.

An autopsy for the man was conducted Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Sgt. Paula McAllister at (408) 808-4500, or (408) 808-4410 after business hours.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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