Investigation of Sarasota arrestee's death continues

The office of the Sarasota County Medical Examiner was unable to determine the cause of death of 33-year-old John Paul Kaafi, who died in Sarasota Police Department custody earlier this month.

According to a news release from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, there were no indications of pre-existing diseases, or internal or external injuries that could have contributed to his death. The Sheriff's Office is still waiting for results from a toxicology report before conluding its investigation.

Kaafi was arrested by the Sarasota Police Department for possessing cocaine, spice and drug paraphernalia. May 6. Following that arrest, Kaafi escaped out of the window of a patrol vehicle and attempted to escape, according to the SPD incident report.

After police regained custody of Kaafi, they transported him to the jail. At that time, Kaafi told officers that he was having an asthma attack. Officers called emergency medical personnel, the report states, and said Kaafi was breathing without any apparent difficulty and speaking to officers before being transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he died.

The Sheriff's Office plans to release more information on the investigation this week, which includes video and radio transmissions.