Officials: Paterson man who died in police custody had ingested ‘bath salts’

Authorities say the death of a man who streamed a frantic video from a Paterson police station earlier this year had ingested the drug known as “bath salts” prior to his death.

News 12 Staff

Aug 12, 2019, 11:13 PM

Updated 1,940 days ago

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Authorities say the death of a man who streamed a frantic video from a Paterson police station earlier this year had ingested the drug known as “bath salts” prior to his death.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday ruled Jameek Lowery’s death accidental and not the result of police use of force.
According to the prosecutor, the state medical examiner’s office ruled that that pre-existing medical conditions combined with Lowery's ingestion of the drugs triggered "an adverse physical reaction including multiple organ failure and cardiac arrest."
Lowery recorded a frantic video inside the Paterson police headquarters on Jan. 5 saying he had taken the drug ecstasy, was paranoid and feared someone was trying to kill him. He died two days later.
Police previously stated that Lowery suffered from health complications from meningitis.
Lowery’s death sparked several days of protests around Paterson from members of the public who felt the death was a result of police brutality.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh released a statement following the report Monday expressing his condolences to Lowery’s family for his death.
Lowery’s sister Jamilyha Lowery tells News 12 New Jersey that the family believes that this newest report is a “cover up.” She says that the family is waiting on the results of a private autopsy they commissioned.
Jamilyha Lowery says that police have still not returned her brother’s belongings to the family.