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Man Dies While In Berkeley Police Custody

BERKELEY (KCBS) - A man died while in police custody on Tuesday night in Berkeley, police said.

Uniformed patrol officers responded to a disturbance call on the 2000 block of Allston Way, near the Downtown Berkeley BART station, at 11:50 p.m.

"The officers made contact with him and immediately could tell he was quite agitated, very uncooperative. Just saying strange things, he began to scream and started to get violent," Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan said.

While officers were able to gain control and put the man in restraints, they said he continued to kick and scream at them.

The police officers then requested the Berkeley Fire Department's assistance in transporting the man with a gurney, due to his large stature.

While the man was under restraint, officers determined the subject was not breathing. Officers immediately began CPR.

Fire crews arrived and transported the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The case remains under investigation and the name of the deceased has not yet been released.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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