Shoplifting suspect dies after he is detained by grocery store employee

A shoplifting suspect died Wednesday night in Coeur d’Alene after he was detained and held on the ground by a loss prevention officer from a nearby grocery store, police said. The 35-year-old man was pronounced dead at 11:13 p.m. at Kootenai Health. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department has not released his name, pending notification of next of kin. According to a police news release, officers responded to U.S. Highway 95 and Kathleen Avenue at 10:35 p.m. for an initial report of two men fighting. Police were advised that the loss prevention officer from Super 1 Foods had detained a male shoplifter, and they found the suspect unresponsive on the ground. Police officers and a Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputy quickly began performing CPR on the man, police said. Medics arrived and the man was taken to Kootenai Health. The security officer told police the suspect came into the store with a woman and shop-lifted items. He said he attempted to detain the man once he was outside the store, and that the suspect fled on foot. The security officer said he chased the suspect and caught him in the area of Sunset Motors, where he attempted to hold onto him. Witnesses said the suspect began to fight to get away. Preliminary information indicates the loss prevention officer held onto him and put him on the ground, police said. The suspect asked to be let up and the security officer did so. Once up the suspect tried to fight again, and the officer put him back on the ground, where the suspect became lethargic while police responded to the scene. Preliminary information from witnesses who observed the incident said the loss prevention officer did not apply excessive physical force while trying to detain the man. Information obtained from the woman accompanying the suspect is that he was under the influence of illegal drugs at the time. The county coroner’s office has scheduled an autopsy. The Super 1 chain of grocery stores is owned by the McIntire family of Hayden. Founder Ronald McIntire is the mayor of Hayden.