PORT ANGELES — Friends and family grieved the loss of a 40-year-old Port Angeles man Thursday while the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office continued its investigation into what part, if any, Port Angeles Police Department actions played in his death.
Jerry Norris, who was declared brain-dead at Olympic Medical Center on Wednesday, was disconnected from life support Thursday night, said Norris’ uncle, Rick Fields of Reno, Nev., who was still in shock over the circumstances of his death.
Port Angeles Police Department officers were subduing Norris at an apartment in the 1000 block of West 18th Street shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday when he suffered cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.
Police were answering a 9-1-1 call that described Norris as “out of control” at the apartment of a man and a woman he had allegedly assaulted, police said.
Before the incident, Norris hadn’t felt well and hadn’t slept in six days, said his uncle, who added that his nephew “wasn’t a drinker, wasn’t a drugger.”
On Thursday, Fields said that doctors “were talking about a possible meningitis.
“We knew it had to be something medical because that wasn’t Jerry at all,” Fields said.
Said longtime friend Jon Beaver of Port Angeles in an e-mail: “His behavior was so out of character that those of us closest to him are still reeling in a state of disbelief and shock.”
Investigation
Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said Thursday that the investigation will be completed by the end of February.
“The part we are really looking into is to ensure that there was nothing done improperly by the police officers,” Benedict said.
Police Chief Terry Gallagher said Wednesday that “all indications are that the police performed professionally within their training and within policy.”
Deputy Chief Brian Smith also said Wednesday there is “no evidence” police caused Norris’ cardiac arrest.
Neither Gallagher nor Benedict would identify the officers involved in the incident, saying that information was part of an active investigation.
Norris — who stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 300 pounds — lived on property he shared with his mother, Fields said.
“He just kept telling his mom, ‘I can’t sleep, I can’t sleep,'” Fields said, adding that the toxicology results he had received as of Thursday “did not reflect any drugs.”
Scuffle at apartment
After arriving at the apartment Saturday, three officers scuffled with Norris, wrestling him to the floor and restraining him, police said.
Norris went into cardiac arrest while he was handcuffed, lying prone on his stomach and wearing a hooded “spit shield,” they said.
Norris stopped breathing, lost his pulse and was resuscitated, police said. Port Angeles Fire Department personnel treated him at the scene.
Doctors said Norris’ brain had swelled and was deprived of oxygen for 20 to 30 minutes, Fields said.
Norris had always intended that his organs be donated, said Beaver and Fields, who added that medical personnel are conducting tests to see what organs are viable.
“He was truly a gentle giant,” Fields said. “He was always just so kind.
“He befriended a lot of people,” he added. “We wished he could have lasted longer, but what he did while he was here, I was sure proud.”
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Senior staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladaily news.com.
Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
