Photo by Brandon Anderson.

Photo by Brandon Anderson.

The death of a 27-year-old man who was found handcuffed in the custody of security guards last month has been ruled a homicide.

Alonzo Smith was found unconscious inside an apartment building at 2312 Good Hope Road SE on November 1; he later died in an area hospital. The Metropolitan Police Department has been investigating the case.

The D.C. medical examiner’s office ruled Smith’s death a homicide, The Washington Post reports.

LaShon Beamon, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said Alonzo Smith died of sudden cardiac arrest complicated by “acute cocaine toxicity while restrained.” She said a contributing factor was “compression of torso.”

The homicide ruling does not necessarily mean a crime has been committed. It means the medical examiner concluded that Smith died at the hands of another. It will be up to D.C. police, who assigned homicide detectives to the case from the start, and prosecutors to decide if there was criminal intent.

The security guards, who have not yet been named, were licensed as “special police,” which requires 40 hours of training in the District and affords arrest powers.

An attorney for the family has said that Smith was not carrying a weapon and a witness “heard Smith running down the hall yelling” for help.

Activists held a rally on Saturday calling for “Justice for Zo.” Speaking to the crowd, Smith’s mother, Beverly Smith, vowed to continue pressing for answers. “As long as I have breath in my body, you will not cover my son’s death,” she said.

Filed Under: alonzo smith, mpd, police investigation, special police,