Indianapolis 18-Year-Old Dies in Custody After Telling Officers He Was Having Trouble Breathing

— -- A young man died in police custody in Indianapolis this weekend, after telling officers he was having trouble breathing, police say.

The cause of death was "Acute Myocardial Infarction With no Penetrating Trauma" -- or artery blockage -- the Marion County Coroner's Office said today.

When a loss-prevention officer at a Burlington Coat Factory confronted a shoplifting suspect Saturday, the suspect showed a gun and ran from the store, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.

The store officer followed the suspect outside, police said, and then responding police officers found the suspect lying in the grass behind a gas station.

The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Terrell Day of Indianapolis, surrendered as soon as he saw police, the police said. A handgun was found next to Day, police said, and Day was taken into custody.

Day "told officers he was having trouble breathing" and an ambulance was requested, according to police.

"The responding EMS crew assessed the suspect and determined he could be transported to the Arrestee Processing Center via jail wagon. When the jail wagon arrived, the suspect began to complain again of breathing problems," the police said.

"A second ambulance was called, and the suspect’s condition deteriorated," the police said. "Despite the best life-saving efforts by the EMS crew, the suspect died in the back of the ambulance."

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was investigating.