The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a death that occurred under Durham Police Department custody, according to a statement released by Police Chief Jose Lopez.
Jesus Huerta, 17, of Durham, died shortly before 3 a.m. while being transported to Police Headquarters by Durham police officer Samuel Duncan, who was going to pick up a warrant charging Huerta with second degree trespassing, the statement said.
When Duncan arrived at police headquarters, a loud noise was heard in the car and he jumped from the vehicle. Huerta was in the back seat of the patrol car, which rolled into a van before coming to a stop.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, and the body has been delivered to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The police department asked the SBI to investigate the case, which is standard procedure for an in-custody death. The death is also being investigated by the department's Professional Standards Division and Homicide Unit.
Duncan, who has been an officer with the Durham Police Department since July 2011, is on leave with pay, which is also standard procedure.
"I want to reassure the community that this incident is being thoroughly and completely investigated in an effort to determine exactly what happened," Lopez said in the statement.
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