Monday, August 24, 2009

Officer Suspended After Man Found Dead in Police Cruiser

Punxsutawney's police chief says an officer is on paid leave until authorities finish their investigation of how a man died in police custody more than a week ago.

Chief Tom Fedigan isn't releasing the name of the officer suspended in connection with the death of 48-year-old Stephen Obbish on Aug. 15.

Obbish had been picked up on suspicion of public drunkenness about 9:50 a.m. and was found dead in the same police cruiser about five hours later. Authorities aren't saying if the man was in the car the entire time, on a day when temperatures were in the 80s.

State police are trying to determine if a crime was committed and are awaiting autopsy results to determine if Obbish was drunk or suffering from a diabetic condition instead.

Punxsutawney is about 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

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