Brandon Smith Autopsy Points To Methamphetamine, But Questions Remain

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The autopsy report for the man who died in the back of a patrol wagon in Sacramento has been released.

Brandon Smith, a father of three, was dropped off with his parole agent in good health about two weeks ago with the goal of getting help with housing. He was later seen in police body camera video on the ground at a Sacramento detox center and handcuffed.

After a six-minute drive to the Sacramento County Main Jail, he was unresponsive in the back of the truck. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The autopsy performed by the Sacramento County coroner reveals that Smith died a sudden death resulting from methamphetamine intoxication.

The report indicated no trauma was found to the body or head that would have led to Smith's death.

Toxicology tests showed no ethanol was found in his system.

Even with the autopsy results, questions still remain, including why the parole agent took Smith to a detox center that deals with alcohol issues when Smith was under the influence of methamphetamine.

Additionally, police body camera video is only available from after Smith was on the ground and handcuffed. What lead up to that moment and the actions of the parole agent are still unknown.

Finally, if Smith was suffering from a medical episode, why was he taken straight to the jail instead of seeking medical treatment first?

Shirin Rajaee will have more on this story on the CBS13 News at 10.