Heriberto Godinez
Heriberto Godinez was 24. His sister, Janet Godinez, said after she first viewed dashcam video that her brother was scared and hiding when officers confronted him. He died in July 2015 in a Chicago police vehicle while waiting for an ambulance to take him to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. The Cook County Medical Examiner's initial autopsy listed the manner of death as undetermined and cited physical stress from restraint as a significant factor. Independent forensic pathologists later concluded the primary cause was a cardiac dysrhythmia brought on by cocaine and alcohol, and found no evidence of asphyxiation, blunt force injury or broken bones; in September 2016 the Cook County State's Attorney said no criminal charges would be filed against the officers.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed). The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office initially listed the manner as undetermined and cited physical stress from restraint, while independent pathologists concluded that a cardiac dysrhythmia brought on by cocaine and alcohol caused the death.
Reported by: Cook County Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); independent forensic pathologists; Cook County State's Attorney's Office (outside investigators).