- Several officers have been placed on leave after the death of a man in a mental health crisis.
- Police said the man, Herman Whitfield III, charged at officers and was tased twice.
- He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
An Indianapolis man having a mental health crisis died after police used a Taser on him twice, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement Monday.
The father of Herman Whitfield III, 39, told the police that his son was "having a psychosis," after he and Whitfield's mother called for help just after 3 a.m. local time.
When police arrived, they observed Whitfield, who was 6'2" and weighed 280 pounds, moving about the apartment unclothed, sweating, and with a bleeding mouth, the statement said.
"After more than 10 minutes of officers negotiating and using de-escalation tactics, the man moved quickly towards an officer," the police statement said.
One of the officers deployed a Taser to Whitfield's chest before putting him in two pairs of connected handcuffs, which the department wrote "provides more comfort to larger individuals."
Medics, who were waiting outside, had been instructed to enter the residence.
Whitfield failed to respond to the medics' request for him to turn around, at which point the handcuffs were removed and CPR was administered, per the department's account. He was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.
The officers involved have been placed on leave, and the Marion County Coroner's Office is investigating the incident.
As news spread of Whitfield's death, members of his community remembered him as a talented pianist, The Indianapolis Star reported. One of his former professors, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, told The Star he was "the gentlest of giants" that "was able to elicit from the piano the most beautiful, soft sounds."
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department declined Insider's request for comment.