The TBI is leading the investigation into how Larry Eugene Boyd, 43, died after he was taken into custody Thursday night at a residence in the 800 block of W. Sharpe Avenue.
Officers responded to an open 911 call at 11:30 p.m. After repeatedly knocking on the door and making announcements to open it for police, Officer Kristopher Sutton made entry into the home after hearing yelling, what sounded like a physical altercation inside and seeing a man with a gun through a window.
As he stood in the open doorway, Officer Sutton saw Boyd, armed with a pistol, standing with the homeowner, a 37-year-old woman who Boyd was visiting. Officer Sutton immediately began shouting commands for Boyd to drop his weapon. The woman was able to break free and run out the door, followed by two others who had been hiding inside a bedroom. Officer Sutton again ordered Boyd to drop his gun. Boyd, who appeared to be under the influence of an as yet undetermined substance, came toward Officer Sutton, dropping his pistol near the front door.
Officer Sutton attempted to take Boyd into custody but he physically resisted and the two struggled down the front porch stairs into the yard where Officers Edward Holden and Josh Whitworth joined Officer Sutton in struggling to bring Boyd into custody. A Taser was deployed with two 5-second bursts, as officers attempted to bring Boyd, who was 6 feet tall and weighed 290 pounds, under control.
After he was handcuffed, the officers placed Boyd into a seated position and called for an ambulance to evaluate him. They kept him sitting upright while waiting for NFD paramedics. Boyd was treated with medication by the NFD, and was transported to General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. “After reviewing body camera footage, the officers worked to de-escalate this interaction,” Chief John Drake said. “This was a real life call with officers making decisions in the moment in their efforts to protect victims and bring a suspect into custody as safely as possible.”
The Community Oversight Board was notified of Boyd’s death overnight and responded to the scene. The Board also reviewed officers’ body camera footage this afternoon.
Officer Sutton, an MNPD officer for 1 year, Officer Whitworth, an MNPD officer for 3 years, and Officer Holden, an MNPD officer for 4 years, all remain on active duty. The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct toxicology testing on Boyd as part of the autopsy process.
