Autistic man dies after
confrontation with Fairfax County police at park dies after confrontation with
Fairfax County police at park
FOX 5's Sarah Simmons reports.
By: Sarah Simmons and fox5dc.com
staff
An autistic northern Virginia man
who was reported missing died Wednesday afternoon after a confrontation with
police at a park in Falls Church.
According to police, at around 1
p.m. Wednesday at Roundtree Park, 45-year-old Paul Gianelos was at the park
with other people from his group home. Caregivers said he had wandered off and
they called police.
Police said they located Gianelos
about two miles away wandering along Annandale Road. A 22-year veteran officer
who is trained in crisis intervention was the first officer on the scene and
was the first to approach Gianelos.
“During this rapport and waiting for the
caregiver to respond to the location, for reasons yet to be determined, Mr.
Gianelos became physically combative with the officer,” said Fairfax County
Police Chief Edwin Roessler. “The officer then called for backup and three
additional officers arrived on the scene. The officers were then able to get
Mr. Gianelos under control and they restrained him by using handcuffs behind
his back.”
Police said they called
paramedics because they had a struggle with Gianelos and he went down and
scraped his head. They said he was still alert and breathing during this time.
But when the paramedics arrived,
police said they witnessed Gianelos going into cardiac arrest and CPR was
performed. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The incident remains under
investigation.
Gianelos’ family said he is
profoundly autistic and he cannot speak and would not understand police orders.
They are expecting an autopsy on Thursday.
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