Update: Man identified who died in Columbus police custody, investigation ongoing
MBI is investigating Columbus police in-custody death
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – New details are released this afternoon about the death of a man in Columbus police custody.
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says 39-year-old Jeremy Finch was tased twice before cardiac arrest.
The incident started Friday at about 6 PM. Merchant tells WCBI Columbus police were called to the 600 block of Avenue B about a nude man.
He believes an elderly woman was assaulted just as officers arrived.
Merchant says Finch was uncooperative and combative when CPD attempted to arrest him.
That’s when Finch was first tased. He was tased again as EMS was trying to treat Finch.
On the way to the hospital, he went into cardiac arrest.
Finch died Sunday afternoon.
State law does require an autopsy.
The investigation was handed over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which declined to release any details citing the ongoing nature of the case.
