Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Thursday afternoon the May 7 death of David Silva has been ruled accidental, caused by the man's drug and alcohol intoxication, longstanding heart disease, and obesity. In a confrontational news conference, the Sheriff said the media had blown the incident out of proportion and called the reporting on the case "shameful."
The deputies involved in the death of David Sal Silva have been cleared of all wrongdoing in the case and will be returned to duty, Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Thursday afternoon.
The Sheriff said toxicology reports prove Silva, 33, died of hypertensive heart disease, acute intoxication, chronic alcohol poisoning, severe obesity, and severe hypertension.
He said that, contrary to claims by people who said they saw the incident, the post-mortem proves no deputy struck Silva on the head with a baton. He said an abrasion on Silva's head was caused by falling down.
Youngblood said Silva had a blood alcohol level of 0.095 and had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his blood and other drugs in his pocket.
He said Silva was "hobbled" at the time his heart stopped. That means his hands were tied together behind his back, his feet were tied together, and the tied hands were bound to the tied feet.
Two of the witnesses who say they saw the event say they videotaped it on their cell phones. One called 911 and said she was sending the video to the news media. Before she could, deputies arrived at her home and held her until a search warrant arrived, allowing deputies to seize the two phones. When the phones were returned, one had no video.
Youngblood sent the phone to the FBI to try to determine if the phone ever had video. Those tests are pending.
At Thursday's news conference, Youngblood said seizing the phones was necessary to preserve evidence.
The Sheriff said media had unnecessarily created hysteria about the incident. In a race to get the story first, reporters didn't care enough about getting the story right, the sheriff said. "It's shameful."
Original story is as follows:
Sheriff Donny Youngblood was scheduled to address the media at 3 p.m. Thursday about the David Sal Silva Case. That news conference will be carried live on KGET, Channel 17.
Silvia, 33, died May 7 after a group of Sheriff's deputies attempted to take him into custody near Kern Medical Center.
Several bystanders said they witnessed deputies beat Silva with batons, and they caught the encounter on cell phone cameras. Deputies seized the phones, but said a week later there was no video on one. That prompted accusations of a coverup.
Youngblood announced today's news conference late yesterday.
The deputies involved in the death of David Sal Silva have been cleared of all wrongdoing in the case and will be returned to duty, Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Thursday afternoon.
The Sheriff said toxicology reports prove Silva, 33, died of hypertensive heart disease, acute intoxication, chronic alcohol poisoning, severe obesity, and severe hypertension.
He said that, contrary to claims by people who said they saw the incident, the post-mortem proves no deputy struck Silva on the head with a baton. He said an abrasion on Silva's head was caused by falling down.
Youngblood said Silva had a blood alcohol level of 0.095 and had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his blood and other drugs in his pocket.
He said Silva was "hobbled" at the time his heart stopped. That means his hands were tied together behind his back, his feet were tied together, and the tied hands were bound to the tied feet.
Two of the witnesses who say they saw the event say they videotaped it on their cell phones. One called 911 and said she was sending the video to the news media. Before she could, deputies arrived at her home and held her until a search warrant arrived, allowing deputies to seize the two phones. When the phones were returned, one had no video.
Youngblood sent the phone to the FBI to try to determine if the phone ever had video. Those tests are pending.
At Thursday's news conference, Youngblood said seizing the phones was necessary to preserve evidence.
The Sheriff said media had unnecessarily created hysteria about the incident. In a race to get the story first, reporters didn't care enough about getting the story right, the sheriff said. "It's shameful."
Original story is as follows:
Sheriff Donny Youngblood was scheduled to address the media at 3 p.m. Thursday about the David Sal Silva Case. That news conference will be carried live on KGET, Channel 17.
Silvia, 33, died May 7 after a group of Sheriff's deputies attempted to take him into custody near Kern Medical Center.
Several bystanders said they witnessed deputies beat Silva with batons, and they caught the encounter on cell phone cameras. Deputies seized the phones, but said a week later there was no video on one. That prompted accusations of a coverup.
Youngblood announced today's news conference late yesterday.