NEW YORK (AP) - The medical examiner’s office has ruled the death of a suspected shoplifter during a physical altercation at a Brooklyn supermarket as a homicide.
New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday said 51-year-old Ralph Nimmons’ went into sudden cardiac arrest in April after being restrained and kept in a prone position.
The medical examiner’s office said Nimmons had been suffering from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
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Authorities say Nimmons was accused of stealing from the Stop & Shop store in Flatbush and collapsed after employees subdued him.
He was unconscious and unresponsive when police arrived.
Nimmons’ death led to protests and boycotts at the store. Stop & Shop issued a statement saying it’s saddened by his death.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office has been investigating.
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