Autopsy Pending In Custody Death Of W. Warwick Man - Associated Press

West Warwick, R.I. (AP) - Five West Warwick police officers were assigned to administrative duties while detectives and prosecutors investigate how a 47-year-old mentally ill man died in police custody, authorities said. Mark Jackson, 47, was killed Friday during his arrest by police officers who were called to a liquor store near his home for a complaint that someone was vandalizing the store's sign, police said. Jackson's family said he was schizophrenic. His cause of death was not known as of Monday, and the state medical examiner's office was conducting an autopsy. Police did not release the names of the officers involved. Police said over the weekend that Jackson was combative and they used pepper spray and batons to try to subdue him. They said he was talking when he was placed in a police cruiser, but sometime during... [read full story]