Drugs blamed in man's death - Cory Crawford Died in Police Custody

For the past two Saturdays protesters have lined the sidewalks at the Blytheville Police Department in protest of police brutality. Part of their concern, as stated on one of their protest signs, is what happened to Cory Crawford. Crawford, 26, of Blytheville, died in the early morning hours of July 23, shortly after being taken into police custody at the Pear Tree Inn in Blytheville, according to Blytheville Police Chief Royce Carpenter. Autopsy reports from the medical examiner's office in Little Rock indicate Crawford's death was due to excited delirium and acute cocaine intoxication with an extremely high level of cocaine being present in his system. "The report from the medical examiner specifically noted that Crawford had numerous superficial wounds consistent with glass and that no cervical (neck) fracture, no blunt force trauma, no evidence of strangulation and no head injuries were detected," Carpenter said. Carpenter also said that prior to the arrival of police at Pear Tree Inn, Crawford repeatedly rammed his head into a glass door before eventually breaking the glass. [more]