A man who was suspected of fare evasion at a Long Beach Metro station died after he was struck by a train during a scuffle with police, authorities said.

Police detained the man at the Wardlow Station shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Officers searched him and found narcotics, said Long Beach Police Lt. David Faris.

He tried to get away from the officers, and during the ensuing scuffle he and an officer fell on the platform, police said.

The man’s legs were off the platform, hanging over the tracks, when he was struck by a Metro Blue Line train arriving at the station.


The impact trapped him in the small gap between the train car and the platform, Faris said. Paramedics extricated him and took him to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The man’s identity wasn’t known, Faris said.

As with all in-custody deaths, Long Beach homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com


Twitter: @AleneTchek

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