Death of Maryland man in NK holding cell investigated

State Police are investigating the death of a Maryland man who collapsed while being held in a holding cell at the New Kent Sheriff’s Office, a few hours after officers used pepper spray and a taser gun to subdue him.

Three New Kent deputies performed CPR on Yvelt Occean, 31, of Silver Spring, Md., after he collapsed in the holding cell shortly before 10 p.m. last Saturday night. Occean was transported by rescue squad to Richmond Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, a State Police spokesman said.

Around 7:30 p.m. that evening, a State Police trooper responded to a report of a man wandering along westbound Interstate 64 and waving to passing vehicles. The trooper spotted the man, who turned out to be Occean, around the 217 mile marker, about midway between the Route 33/West Point and Route 155/Providence Forge exits.

After Occean apparently ignored the trooper’s orders to step away from the travel lanes, the trooper attempted to take the suspect into custody. Occean resisted, forcing the trooper to use pepper spray. With the assistance of a passerby, the trooper placed Occean under arrest.

New Kent sheriff’s deputies and rescue personnel arrived at the scene a short time later. Medical personnel evaluated Occean’s condition, but the suspect refused further treatment or to be transported to a hospital. All the while, State Police say, Occean remained uncooperative with authorities.

When officers attempted to place Occean in a sheriff’s vehicle, the suspect resisted and ignored several warnings from a New Kent deputy who was armed with a taser device. The deputy fired the taser, subduing Occean who was then taken to the sheriff’s office to appear before a magistrate.

At the sheriff’s office, Occean was arraigned on one count each of being a pedestrian on an interstate, resisting arrest, and obstruction of justice before being placed in the holding cell. About two hours later, he collapsed and was unresponsive as deputies performed CPR.

New Kent Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. declined comment on the incident other than to praise the work of the deputies who tried to revive Occean.

Investigators, meanwhile, are awaiting results of an autopsy. State Police spokesman Sgt. Tom Cunningham declined to comment on how Occean got on the interstate as well as other aspects of the case, saying the incident remains under investigation.