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Aurora police officers cleared of wrongdoing in man's cocaine overdose death during March arrest

Aurora police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the death of a man who died of a cocaine overdose during a confrontation at a gas station in March, following an investigation by Kane County prosecutors.

On March 30, Aurora police officers responded to a Speedway gas station on Farnsworth Avenue, where they found 30-year-old Irving Martinez screaming and behaving erratically in a bathroom, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's office.

The toilet had been torn off the wall, causing a flood in the bathroom. Martinez told officers he had taken cocaine that was "probably laced," and he appeared to be overheating.

When he asked for water, he poured it over himself, and officers tried to calm him down, but he continued to act agitatedly, screaming incoherently and splashing water onto himself.

Paramedics and police officers tried to move Martinez into an ambulance, but he resisted, and paramedics administered two rounds of a sedative seven minutes apart.

Martinez was then placed on a stretcher and handcuffs, but a few minutes later he became unresponsive, so his handcuffs were removed, and paramedics performed CPR and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy later determined his death was caused by a cocaine overdose, with heart disease being a contributing factor.

Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said in a statement that the autopsy determined the officers' use of restraint on Martinez did not contribute to his death.

An investigation also determined police had probable cause to arrest Martinez and tried to de-escalate the situation using proper force.

"The officers followed every relevant policy of the Aurora Police Department and the Illinois State Statutes," Mosser said in a statement. "There is no evidence or indication that any police officer committed any unlawful acts or failed to follow any policy or the law."

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