Indiana Chief Says Man Killed By Officers Was High

ASSOCIATED PRESS



FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) -- A man shot to death by police officers last month after a four-hour standoff at a downtown apartment was high on cocaine, authorities said.

Police Chief Rusty York said Tuesday that Escobedo Rudy Escobedo had an ''extremely high level of cocaine'' in his system. He would not disclose the exact level of cocaine or whether alcohol or other drugs were detected in Escobedo's body.

Robyn Niedzwiecki, spokeswoman for the Allen County prosecutor's office, said no additional information about Escobedo's death would be released until the investigation was complete.

Escobedo called police on July 19, telling them he had a gun and feared he would harm himself. Police, who said they were worried about public safety around the apartment building, eventually determined negotiations were not progressing and fired two rounds of tear gas canisters into Escobedo's seventh-floor apartment.

When officers entered the apartment, they found Escobedo in a closet with a handgun pointed at his head. When officers ordered him to drop the gun, Escobedo pointed it at the officers, who then shot him multiple times.

Escobedo's family told The Journal Gazette they were not surprised to learn he had cocaine in his system.

''We aren't denying that Rudy had problems, because he did,'' said Raquel Hanic, a sister. ''But I still don't think he should have died. I still come to that.

''Rudy was more terrified than threatening to anyone. I can guarantee you that. Rudy was not a confrontational person.''

Quoted: ''We aren't denying that Rudy had problems, because he did,'' said Raquel Hanic, a sister. ''But I still don't think he should have died. I still come to that.

That kicks ass. I want scums to get killed by the hundreds every single day until there are no more left to get killed.