PEPPER SPRAY USED ON SUSPECT
Tuesday, August 5, 1997
Section: LOCAL
Page: 1B
By JEFF MAYO Camera Staff Writer
Boulder County Coroner John Meyer said an autopsy of a 20-year-old Colorado Springs man who died after he was sprayed with pepper spray during an altercation at a "rave" party did not reveal any "lethal traumatic injuries."
The cause of Luis McIntire's death, however, likely won't be available for several weeks, Meyer said.
McIntire died at 1:55 a.m. Sunday shortly after private security guards and off-duty Boulder police hired for additional security removed him from the party at Olympic Bowl, 1740 30th St. in Boulder, for allegedly approaching and fondling a woman, according to a Boulder Police Department report. Outside, McIntire began to resist and the officers sprayed him with pepper spray - which reportedly causes the eyes to swell and hinders breathing - handcuffed and hobbled him, the report said.
During the altercation, the suspect stopped breathing and ambulance and fire department personnel were called. Attempts to resuscitate McIntire failed.
Police allowed the party to continue after McIntire's death.
John Siverly, landlord of Crossroads East, a business north of Olympic Bowl, said he knows of four or five raves that have been held at the former bowling alley over the past year.
Siverly said he saw party goers attending this event leave between 5 and 6 a.m. Sunday.
A Denver woman who spoke under a condition of anonymity said she frequently attends raves in Denver. She said raves usually are announced the night they occur because party promoters do not want to alert police.
At least 500 people typically attend raves and most have crowds of over 1,000 people, she said. The music genre commonly is "industrial" or "techno."
Admission generally costs between $20 and $25, but holiday events can run as much as $50 per person.
"People are really mellow at raves," she said. "I've never seen a fight at one."
"They don't serve alcohol because it is too risky," she said, but added that drug use of all kinds is common.
Boulder city spokeswoman Leslie Aaholm defended the use of pepper spray by the officers involved in Sunday's altercation. Police, she said, use the spray as a non-combative way of restraining aggressive suspects.
It remained unclear Monday what role, if any, it played in McIntire's death.
This page last updated 08 Jun 98
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