A man in Paterson, New Jersey mysteriously died days after visiting the Paterson police looking for help.
The man, Jameek Lowery, 27, recorded his interaction with police on Facebook Live. He arrived at the station appearing sweaty and agitated, begging police for water and assistance. He also was insisting that people, including police, might be trying to kill him.
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In the video, which was posted Saturday around 4 a.m. to Facebook, Lowery appears to be near the front desk inside the police station, asking for water.
"I'm just paranoid," he said. "I need some water."
"We're not allowed to," an officer replied.
"Please, help me. ... Please don't kill me though," Lowery said.
An officer then replies that he can get water at the hospital. The video ends with Lowery saying, "Go ahead and kill me."
NBC reported Lowery had called 911 twice before he arrived at the police department. Around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday he told 911 operators he had taken ecstasy and was feeling paranoid. EMS responded and took him the hospital, but he left shortly after.
Around 3:40 a.m. he called 911 again from a Wendy's restaurant near the Paterson Police Department. Then he walked into the Paterson police station.
The Paterson Press reported that hours later Lowery was taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, where he was placed on life support. He died Monday morning of unspecified injuries. An autopsy is being performed to determine his cause of death.
Jamir King, Lowery's brother, said on the way to the hospital Lowery suffered a broken cheekbone, fractured eye socket and at one point became unconscious, according to the Paterson Press. King also said it took two hours between when the recorded video ended and his brother arrived at the hospital.
"Per initial reports and information, police used physical force and compliance holds to secure Mr. Lowery in the ambulance," the prosecutor's office said in a statement to NBC.
Now, friends and family want to know exactly what happened in the ambulance.
“His face wasn’t like that in the video,” King told Paterson Press.
This is developing story. Check back for updates.
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