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Abstract: 

It is estimated that 50 to 125 in-custody deaths in the United States each year are associated with a condition called “excited delirium” (ED). ED is a rare but fatal medical phenomenon that over the last few years has gained a great deal of publicity. A factor in the problem of ED is that officers tend to see the bizarre and often violent behavior of a subject experiencing this condition as strictly a control and arrest situation, rather than as a serious medical emergency that can be fatal. Law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling to put proactive protocols in place to prevent the tragic consequences of such occurrences.

Keywords: Typical Behavior, bizarre, aggressive, psychiatric illness, chronic illicit stimulant substance abusers

Affiliations:  1: Laramie County Detention Center.