Man Who Died In Police Custody Identified During AG Investigation

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A man who died while being detained by Gaithersburg Police on Christmas Eve has been identified as Marvin Salamanca Garcia, 35, of Gaithersburg.

His death is being investigated by the Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, according to a news release.

The Gaithersburg police officers involved in the investigation are: Sgt. Evan Milano, an 11-year veteran; Cpl. Doug Seek, a 9-year veteran; Officer William Diggons, a 7-year veteran of the department with 2 years of prior service; Officer Kelvin Colon, a 3-year veteran; Officer Nick Ozkayan, a 4-year veteran; Officer Anna Reckley, a 1-year veteran; and Officer Jaime Flores-Rios, a 1-year veteran. All officers are assigned to the Operations Bureau.

About 10:15 p.m. on Dec. 24, officers from the Gaithersburg Police Department were called to an apartment building in the 300 block of North Summit Avenue for a report a man was causing a disturbance.

Police found the man, later identified as Garcia, covered in blood while lying on the ground in front of an apartment. Authorities said he was conscious, and acting erratically.

As he walked away from the building, officers grabbed Garcia, placed him on the ground, and held him while waiting for fire and rescue personnel to arrive.

While police restrained him, Garcia became unconscious and stopped breathing. Officers began emergency medical aid until fire and rescue units took over care, and took Garcia to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Thursday.

Body-worn camera footage is typically released within 20 business days of an incident, a news release from the attorney general's office said.