Police: Man who died in police custody identified as Daniel Wichterman, 29, of Northeast Philadelphia

Police have identified the 29-year-old Philadelphia man who died Friday night after he was charged with driving under the influence almost seven hours earlier, police said.

Daniel Wichterman of the 3700 block of Genesee Drive in Northeast Philadelphia was pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital at 11:30 p.m., Officer Tanya Little said. He had been found unresponsive in a police detention cell an hour earlier and did not respond to resuscitation attempts, police said.

Wichterman was arrested about 3 p.m. after a motor vehicle accident on the 2700 block of Holme Street. There were no injuries. Wichterman told police he had taken some form of narcotics, Little said.

Wichterman was taken to the Police Detention Unit for further processing. At approximately 10 p.m., he was found unresponsive in the cell he was sharing with another inmate.

A detention unit nurse performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Wichterman was then taken to the hospital.

The case remains under investigation.

The inmate who was in the cell with Wichterman is not suspected of any involvement in his death, Little said.

- Rita Giordano
and Sarai Flores