O’FALLON, Mo. • Police are investigating the death of a man, 38, who fled from the back of an ambulance and died shortly after police tried to get him into custody late Sunday.
An autopsy performed Monday was inconclusive as to the cause of death, according to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The results of toxicology tests will take several weeks.
The man, identified by police as Robert Kenkel, of O’Fallon, apparently was standing in the middle of Westbrook Drive about 11:20 p.m., yelling for someone to call the police.
When police arrived Sunday night, they met with the man’s mother, who said her son was acting paranoid, and she was concerned for his safety and her own. Officers met with the man, and he was having hallucinations, exhibiting signs of manic behavior and at times speaking incoherently, police said.
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Kenkel agreed to go to the hospital for an evaluation. Medics came to transport him, and he voluntarily got into the ambulance.
But while the ambulance was traveling down Westbrook Drive, he jumped out, police said.
Officers found Kenkel in a backyard, and police said he acted as though he was going to assault the officers. Police ordered him to the ground, and he complied.
But while officers were attempting to handcuff Kenkel, he began to thrash around, violently kicking at them.
As the officers attempted to calm Kenkel, he lost consciousness, and his heart stopped beating, police said.
Officers started CPR, and medics returned. Kenkel was transported to a hospital and was later was pronounced dead.
Medics said when they had done an initial assessment on Kenkel’s condition, he had an increased heart rate while in a resting position.
A woman who answered the door Monday afternoon at Kenkel’s home declined to comment.
