Man, 35, dead following Salinas domestic disturbance

A man is dead after Salinas police officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a home Friday night.

Officers received reports that Jaime Garcia, 35, assaulted his spouse with a knife and screwdriver.

They said it appeared Garcia was under the influence of drugs. They said they tried to detain him but he continued to resist.

“He was extremely combative, appeared very agitative, was sweating profusely, and had an elevated heart rate and elevated body temperature,” said Cmdr.Henry Gomez with the Salinas Police Department. “All these are signs of stimulating intoxication such as cocaine.

One officer used his stun gun on Garcia, but police said he continued to be combative.

Garcia then went into medical distress and was quickly transported to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital despite paramedics’ life-saving efforts.

The five officers were put on administrative leave during initial stages of the investigation. Two of them sustained minor injuries during the struggle.

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday. Results of toxicology tests could take several weeks, police said.