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Police probe death of man while in SEPTA custody

Philadelphia homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 49-year-old man while in the custody of SEPTA police Friday night, authorities said Monday.

Philadelphia homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 49-year-old man while in the custody of SEPTA police Friday night, authorities said Monday.

Two SEPTA officers were responding to a report of someone stealing copper wire at a rail yard near the Wayne Junction station when they found the man allegedly trespassing on SEPTA property, authorities said.

The officers pursued the man, and there was an altercation in which one officer used pepper spray to subdue him, authorities said.

SEPTA police took the man, whose name was not released, to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Medical Examiner's Office has not released a cause of death.

City homicide detectives are investigating because the man died in official custody. SEPTA, citing the police investigation, would not comment on the man's death.

SEPTA spokeswoman Heather Redfern did say that, following agency policy, the officers had been temporarily assigned to desk duty.