By Abby Spegman
The Olympian
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Police in Olympia say a 35-year-old woman died after emergency crews tried to sedate her early Wednesday.
Olympia firefighters responded to a fire alarm at an apartment complex on the 1200 block of Fern Street Southwest shortly after 1 a.m. The woman pulled the fire alarm “while in crisis ... apparently suffering from mental illness and/or acute effects of substance use,” according to a news release.
Police also responded to the scene. Officers tried to detain her for a mental health evaluation but she began kicking and lunging at them.
Crews decided to “chemically restrain her so that she could be safely transported,” the news release stated.
Paramedics gave her the medication and she stopped breathing shortly after that.
Crews administered CPR and she was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office has identified the woman as Vaneesa L. Hopson. Her cause of death is under investigation.
A multi-agency investigation led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will look at events leading up to her death.
Copyright 2018 The Olympian