COLONIE -- Police are examining whether drugs may have played a role in the erratic behavior of a man who died after a violent confrontation with officers earlier this week at a Latham gym.

Drugs that appear to be cocaine and steroids, which are both federally controlled substances, were recovered Monday from the Troy apartment of Chad Brothers, 32, during a police search of his residence, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

"We haven't released that. I'm not confirming that at all," Colonie Police Chief Steve Heider said Thursday. "We'll turn our evidence over to the pathologists and let the experts decide."

"Anything we would have recovered from the apartment, we'll be submitting for analysis," he said.

A toxicology study is pending that may confirm what substances, if any, were in Brothers' system at the time of his death. The substances recovered during the search of his apartment have been sent to a lab for testing, a person familiar with the matter said.

Witnesses told police that Brothers exhibited unusual behavior when he arrived at a Gold's Gym on Troy-Schenectady Road just before 6 a.m. Monday. According to police, about a half-hour later, Brothers appeared to fall or jump off an elliptical-style machine. He sped up another patron's machine and punched him in the face, then destroyed gym equipment, police said.

Police described Brothers as large and muscular, weighing about 230 pounds. Three officers, with help of bystanders, subdued and handcuffed Brothers. He was shocked at least three times with a Taser during the struggle.

Brothers went into cardiac arrest about a minute after being placed into custody, police said. He was pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center.

Heider said police are pursuing a theory that Brothers may have suffered from a rare condition known as excited delirium. The condition is a controversial syndrome in which someone becomes extremely agitated and combative as their body temperature rises to dangerous levels. Heider said Brothers' symptoms appear to match the condition. Drug use can be a factor in triggering the condition.

"He had a very violent episode, that's indisputable," Heider said. "Our job now is to figure out the best way we can to help the medical people make a ruling."

Detectives are interviewing people who were with Brothers last weekend, trying to re-trace his steps leading up to the incident at the gym, Heider said. It's unclear whether Brothers had slept before arriving at the gym.

"We care about this kid, too," Heider said. "It's a tragedy for everybody, especially his family."

Reach Brendan Lyons at 454-5547 or blyons@timesunion.com.