Man Who Died In Custody Was High On PCP, Sheriff's Department Alleges

An allegedly out-of-control man who died while being taken into custody outside a Moreno Valley restaurant last month had high concentrations of illegal drugs in his system, authorities said today.

Raymond Lewis Johnson, 41, lost consciousness and stopped breathing as Riverside County sheriff's deputies attempted to restrain him in the drive-thru of a Burger King at 23125 Hemlock Ave. on Oct. 11.

He was pronounced dead at Riverside County Regional Medical Center minutes later.

The use-of-force tactics deputies employed to arrest Johnson drew criticism from his family and community groups, prompting sheriff's officials to take extra steps to inform the public about the post-mortem investigation.

Autopsy results released today show Johnson had high levels of PCP in his stomach and trace amounts in his blood, according to the sheriff's department.

"PCP was also located in his urine and vitreous fluid, which is indicative of the potential of steady use of the drug," according to a sheriff's statement. "In addition to the PCP, there was cocaine, marijuana and their derivatives located in his urine. Those findings indicate that those drugs were ingested earlier than the PCP."

Sheriff's officials said that while the toxicology results will be factored into the coroner's report, the official cause of death has not yet been conclusively determined.

According to sheriff's spokesman Lt. Joe Borja, deputies were sent to the Burger King around 6 p.m. on Oct. 11 to investigate reports of an agitated man in a car, thrashing about uncontrollably.

The first deputy to arrive attempted to make contact with the 6-foot-3, 216-pound suspect, but Johnson was unresponsive and instead began kicking the interior of his car, Borja reported.

He said the suspect attempted to start his vehicle several times without success, at which point the deputy, fearing Johnson would drive away and potentially cause a wreck, deployed his pepper spray, aiming it into Johnson's face, which momentarily stunned the suspect, who began "pulling on his steering wheel and again attempted to start the vehicle."

The deputy then used his Taser, shocking Johnson several times, without any apparent effect, Borja reported. The suspect allegedly grabbed the lawman's hand to prevent him from using the Taser again, and the two men became locked in a struggle that continued until backup deputies arrived and corralled Johnson, who reached beneath the passenger seat of his car -- raising concerns that he might be trying to get hold of a weapon, according to Borja.

A deputy struck Johnson with a baton to make him release his grip on whatever he was holding underneath the seat, Borja continued, and deputies then successfully pulled him out of the vehicle, handcuffing him and placing him on the ground.

It was at that point he stopped breathing, prompting the deputies to summon an ambulance. Borja said the suspect had abrasions but no injuries that outwardly appeared to be life-threatening. --City News Service