ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Virginia State Police are investigating an in-custody death that happened in Roanoke on Wednesday.
At 10:09 p.m., Roanoke police responded to a disorder call in the 900 block of 21st Street NW. When they arrived, the Roanoke officers located two women inside the residence and a man lying motionless, but still conscious on the floor, according to state police.
The women told officers that he had entered their residence, began verbally threatening them and then assaulted them. The women said they fought back in an attempt to defend themselves from the man. As the officers attempted to place him under arrest, he began to resist being handcuffed.
The man, 30-year-old Clifton Antwone Watts, of Roanoke, was finally handcuffed and placed in the back of the officers' patrol car. He remained in the back of the police vehicle while the officers continued their investigation of the incident at the residence, according to Virginia State Police
A short time later, an officer noticed Watts was not breathing. The officers immediately got him out of the patrol car and began administering CPR until Roanoke Fire-EMS responded to the scene.
Watts was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he died later Wednesday night.
His remains have been transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for autopsy and examination.
The two women at the residence suffered minor injuries in the assault, but refused medical treatment at the scene. Roanoke Police are still investigating the assault at the residence.
The Virginia State Police investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Anyone with information about this incident or the events leading up to it is asked to please contact the Salem Field Office at 540-375-9547 or by email at bci-salem@vsp.virginia.gov.
In accordance with policy, the two Roanoke officers have been placed on administrative assignment.