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Death ruled a homicide

Healthcare Security Weekly, February 11, 2008

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office has ruled the death of a man who died in December after a struggle with a hospital security guard a homicide, reported The Birmingham News.

The 40-year-old man died Dec. 15, a day after a guard at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham pursued him on suspicion of theft, the newspaper reported. The security guard caught the man outside the hospital and a struggle ensued. The man became unresponsive and was taken to St. Vincent's where he was treated in the emergency room and later died in intensive care, the News said.

The homicide ruling by the coroner's office means that a person died at the hands of another, the newspaper reported. The ruling does not necessarily mean criminal wrongdoing was involved. The case will be presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed in the case, the News reported. The man had a pre-existing heart condition and cocaine in his system, both of which were listed as contributing factors to his death, authorities told the newspaper.

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