D.A.:Dunlevy’s jail cell death ‘accidental’

Concluding more than six months of an investigation into the jail cell death of Matthew Dunlevy, the Orange County District Attorney reported Wednesday that the 25-year-old died of a cocaine and alcohol overdose, and exonerated Laguna Beach police of “criminal wrongdoing” in the death.

Dunlevy, 25, was arrested outside the White House bar by Laguna Beach police Jan. 5 on suspicion of public intoxication and found dead five hours later in his cell.

The investigation concluded that there was “no wrongdoing” on the part of the Laguna Beach Police Department, Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul Chrisopoulos said.

Laguna Beach Police Capt. Danell Adams said in a written statement Thursday: “The Orange County coroner pathologist completed an autopsy on Mr. Dunlevy. This medical procedure concluded the cause of death to be acute intoxication of cocaine and ethanol, and the manner of death was found to be accidental.”

Adams’ statement continues: “In a letter written to the Chief of Police by Deputy District Attorney Paul Chrisopoulos, this investigation concluded that the evidence does not support any finding of criminal culpability on behalf of any officers or personnel of the Laguna Beach Police Department.”

Adams said that the District Attorney’s office delivered their completed investigation to the Chief of Police on Thursday. “Inclusive in their investigation are interviews of all involved police personnel and witnesses as well as surveillance tapes of the White House bar, video tapes of the Laguna Beach Police Department jail and a series of photographs.

“As a matter of standard practice and policy, the Laguna Beach Police Department is still conducting an administrative review and investigation of this incident,” Adams stated.

Matthew’s father, Terry Dunlevy, said he believes that, despite the District Attorney’s finding, the police department acted negligently.

Terry Dunlevy, who filed a $10 million claim against the city last week, said he did so to meet a six-month deadline. The claim, which the city rejected, is necessary in order to file a lawsuit.

“I think it’s ironic that the D.A. finish their investigation after six months, when we had a deadline of six months to file a claim,” he said. “This is war.”

Terry Dunlevy believes his son may have died from an overdose but questions the way he was treated while in custody.

“He received no medical attention,” Terry Dunlevy said. “For someone acting as bizarrely as he was, at a minimum a paramedic should have been called.”

Terry Dunlevy also said his son should have had his stomach pumped or been given a counteractive and questioned whether other factors, such as alleged use of a stun gun, may have played a role in his son’s death.

“If someone went out and took cocaine and alcohol the point of excess, he dies in an hour or two, not five,” Dunlevy said.

Terry Dunlevy, who is retired from the medical equipment business, also said there has been a misconception that his son was homeless.

“He had been living in an apartment in town for four months,” he said. “He was looked after and well cared for. I don’t understand why the police say he was homeless.”