Third person dies in Dutch police custody in a month

A 42-year-old man from Rhoon who resisted an arrest last week and then became unwell, has died, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported on Twitter. The man was the third person in a month to die in the custody of Dutch police.

The suspect was arrested on Sept. 8 on Zwaluwlaan in his hometown because he was arguing. According to the police, he behaved aggressively, forcing officers to taser him when he was arrested. When this had no effect, a police dog was deployed and bit him in the leg.

The man was then transferred to a police station in Spijkenisse, where an ambulance took him to hospital. He was restless in the ambulance. Once in the hospital, he became unwell. His condition was critical and he has been hospitalized ever since, dying on Friday evening.

He was the third suspect to die in police custody in less than a month. A 37-year-old man from Hengelo died on Aug. 25 after he was taken into custody at a traffic stop in Borne. He became unwell a week before that. A police officer appeared to place a knee on the man's chest and press down hard while the man lay motionless on the ground.

The same day, a 37-year-old man from Brummen died in a hospital after becoming unwell in a police car. The Rijksrecherche, the independent national service that handles inquiries into government organizations –– like the police –– is investigating all these incidents.