Police on Tuesday were investigating the death of a man they shot with a stun gun during a confrontation after he allegedly tried to bite another man while naked.
The incident began when officers from the West Miami Police and Miami-Dade Police departments responded to the 2300 block of Southwest 58th Avenue Thursday afternoon to a call of a completely naked man exhibiting bizarre behavior, Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
Zabaleta said the caller told police that the man was trying to bite his neck and tear his clothes off.
When the officers arrived, they encountered George Salgado, who became aggressive and violent towards the officers, Zabaleta said.
The officers used their "Electronic Control Device" on Salgado and were able to restrain him, Zabaleta said. Salgado was taken to Larkin Community Hospital under the Baker Act, where he died early Friday morning.
Zabaleta said the autopsy hasn't been conducted, so the exact cause of death is unknown. The death is being investigated by the Miami-Dade Homicide Bureau, Zabaleta said.
An attorney for Salgado's family claims the 21-year-old was shot with a stun gun "numerous times" and "severely beaten by West Miami police officers."
Attorney Jeffrey Norkin says Salgado was on LSD but was unarmed, and that 10 police officers were on the scene when Salgado was arrested.
"Laughable, it's a joke, they could have easily taken this young man down peacefully with the safety of all involved," Norkin said.
Reached by phone Tuesday, West Miami Police Chief Nelson Andreu said he would neither confirm nor deny the allegation about his officers beating the subject.
"I cannot comment on that, that is part of the investigation being done by the Miami-Dade Police," he said, when asked about the investigation.
Norkin and parents Jorge Salgado and Barbara Alfaro spoke about the incident during a news conference Tuesday morning.
"My son was a very sweet child...loved his family, always said it to his dad, he made sure everybody knew he loved them," Alfaro said. "He was a beautiful person."
Norkin said the family intends to file a lawsuit in federal court and is asking the State Attorney's Office to prosecute the officers involved.
"He didn't die, he was brutally beaten and electrocuted," uncle Rafael Alfaro said.
