Man dies after slashing throat, fighting with police

A man died Wednesday morning after he crashed his car on westbound Interstate 80 in Davis, began slashing his own throat with a razor and was Tasered twice by a police officer, police said.

The middle-aged man, whose name was not released, crashed into a tree at about 8:34 a.m. west of the Mace Boulevard exit, according to Davis Police Sgt. Scott Smith. Several drivers stopped to help the man, who was briefly trapped in the vehicle.

The man freed himself and got out of the vehicle, "despite having significant visible injuries," police said.

"It's amazing he was even able to function after the collision," Smith said.

The man took out a utility knife and began slashing his throat in front of the people who had stopped to help him, Smith said.

Davis police officers arrived within two minutes. The man continued to slash his throat and refused to let go of the blade, Smith said.

Between three and five officers wrestled with the 250-pound man, trying to get the blade out of his grip, but were unsuccessful, Smith said.

A Davis police officer placed his Taser into its "stun gun" mode and stunned the man, who let go of the blade, Smith said.

"This subject was dying in front of (the officers and paramedics on the scene) and they couldn't get him medical attention because he was waving this blade around," Smith said. "I think they were very resourceful."

The man continued to kick and wrestle with police and paramedics, so the same officer -- a 16-year veteran of the Davis Police Department -- stunned him again, Smith said. Paramedics were then able to place him in restraints and on a backboard, and he was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital about 9:50 a.m., police said.

Smith said witnesses and officers said the man was "extremely strong."

"It was almost surreal, the strength he had," Smith said.

The department will investigate the incident because the man died shortly after he was forcibly subdued by officers, Smith said. However, none of the officers involved has been placed on administrative leave and "discipline is not anticipated at this point," he said.

The first officer on the scene taped the incident on his in-car camera, and Smith said the officers followed department policy.

One of the stopped drivers who had tried to calm the man was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, Smith said.

"They were trying to calm him down, so you can imagine the trauma," he said. "You're on the freeway, you see this horrific accident and this guy slashes his throat. It was very traumatizing for them."

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• The Bee's Ryan Lillis can be reached at (916) 321-1085 or rlillis@sacbee.com.