May 9. Three days after sending a news release calling the death of a suspect in custody “suspicious,” authorities now say that’s not the case.
Kalamazoo County sheriff’s officials confirmed the man who died was James Ronald Dunigan.
The 57-year-old died Friday morning after he refused to leave the Bronson Methodist Hospital emergency room, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety authorities said.
Eventually, hospital staff called police. After Dunigan continued his refusal, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant, KDPS officials said.
Something happened while he was being taken to jail and Dunigan died. He was unresponsive and didn’t have a pulse when he arrived at the Kalamazoo County Jail, County Undersheriff Pali Matyas said.
Jail staff along with emergency responders from KDPS and paramedics tried to revive Dunigan using CPR, but were unsuccessful.
The undersheriff said Dunigan was never booked into the jail.
“As far as we’re concerned, he was dead in the garage,” Matyas told. “We never got so much as a remote pulse…”
Matyas said his staff was familiar with Dunigan. He said the man had an extensive medical history, though he wouldn’t elaborate on specifics citing patient privacy.
The undersheriff said KDPS officers noticed Dunigan was having problems about half way to jail but didn’t immediately call for medical help, thinking he might have been faking.
It wasn’t until officers arrived at the jail and realized Dunigan was unresponsive that life-saving efforts began. Emergency crews worked on Dunigan unsuccessfully for some 40 minutes, Matyas said.
Given the man’s history, the undersheriff said he doubted there was foul play.
Monday afternoon, KDPS started backing off their original characterization that called the death “suspicious.”
“It probably shouldn’t of been labeled that,” KDPS Chief Jeff Hadley said in an email statement. “All appearances this was a medical event. There was no struggle or use of Force whatsoever.”
Hadley said the officers who transported the suspect are still working.
What brought Dunigan to the hospital in the first place remains unclear, as does the reasoning behind him wanting to stay as hospital staff insisted he leave.
Reached by phone Monday afternoon, a Bronson Hospital spokesperson declined comment on the matter citing patient privacy.
An autopsy was being performed on Dunigan to determine a cause and manner of death.
Dunigan, listed as a parole absconder with the Michigan Department of Corrections, has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for home invasion, weapons offenses and prison escape charges.
“I don’t even see how they didn’t see something drastic to them,” Dunigan’s brother, Artura Dunigan, told after watching the newly released video Thursday.
“Cause he ain’t the type that just went to hospitals to just see what was going on. Something wrong with him. He’s going there.”
“I don’t even really want to watch it all,” he continued. “Man, I know he was so alone. Oh my God.”
Dunigan, 57, was treated at Bronson Methodist Hospital for chest pain and released around 4:30 a.m. He remained in the hospital lobby, moving around and switching chairs, staff told officers.
When Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Derek Nugent arrived around 6 a.m., investigators said Dunigan repeatedly told him he wanted to go to jail. Nugent tried to convince Dunigan to leave the hospital without success, according to the KDPS.
Police say once Dunigan was outside, the officers couldn’t get him out of his wheelchair. Nugent eventually arrested Dunigan for trespassing and a check revealed Dunigan was wanted for violating his probation, officers said.
“He’s got a Lansing tether unit, so parole violation. So it’s a good one, which is probably why all of a sudden his legs turned to spaghetti,” one of the officers said.
“Said his legs were spaghetti. Yeah, that’s ’cause he can’t walk,” Dunigan’s brother said in response as he watched the video.
“They joking the whole time this man is in discomfort,” he continued.
Dunigan can be heard moaning in the back seat of the cruiser as he is taken from Bronson Methodist Hospital to the Kalamazoo County Jail around 6:45 a.m.
“I don’t know if you’re acting or what you’ve got going on but the doctor says you’re good to go up to county so that’s what we’re doing,” one of the officers says as the cruiser pulls out of Bronson Methodist Hospital.
About a minute into the ride, snoring sounds can be heard.
Officers Nugent and Eric Shaffer pull over shortly thereafter to check on Dunigan and find he had slid to the floor, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.
“Hey, can we sit you up in this chair please? C’mon. He’s on the floor,” one officer says.
“What are we going to do with him?” an officer says moments after he’s back in the seat.
“He’s foaming at the mouth,” the other officer notes.
“He’s been cleared, right?” The other officer asks.
“He’s foaming at the mouth, man, that’s not responding. He ain’t said a word,” Artura Dunigan said as he watched the video. “That’s not nothing you can fake.”
“Oh, you’re fine, look at you, you’re fine. This is- you’re acting,” one of the officers said after they flashed a light in Dunigan’s eyes. KDPS said Dunigan had blinked and closed his eyes.
KDPS said the officers also checked Dunigan’s breathing, pain reaction and level of consciousness before continuing their drive.
“There was a belief at the time that Mr. Dunigan began being passively resistant as he was being taken to jail, had recently been conversant and mobile, and had just been cleared medically by Bronson Hospital,” Chief Jeff Hadley stated in a Thursday news release.
When the cruiser arrived at the jail at 6:56 a.m., Nugent checked Dunigan’s chest movement to see if he was breathing before jail staff took over treatment, KDPS said.
At 7:41 a.m., Dunigan was pronounced dead at the jail. 
