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Dontae Maurice Melton Jr.

Gender : Male

Age : 31

Race : Black

Date : 06/24/2025

Location : West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road

City : Baltimore

County : Baltimore

State : Maryland

Agency : Baltimore Police Department

Officer(s) :10 officers

Cause of Death : Unknown

Event : Died following police restraint during mental health crisis

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

Late on June 24, 2025, Donte Melton Jr., 31, was in a mental health crisis when he approached a Baltimore Police officer in a marked cruiser at a red light on West Franklin Street near North Franklintown Road. He walked into traffic and allegedly resisted officers. Police engaged him in what the preliminary report calls a “violent scuffle” before they placed him in handcuffs and leg shackles. Officers requested medical assistance repeatedly—first at approximately 9:48 p.m. and again at 9:55 p.m.—but Baltimore’s CAD system was down, and no medic arrived. After Melton became unresponsive on the pavement, officers placed him in their vehicle and drove him to a hospital. It is unknown how long he was down restrained in cuffs and leg shackles on the pavement before he finally arrived at the hospital. He died about 5½ hours after the initial encounter, before midnight or in the early morning hours of June 25. Melton remained unresponsive on the pavement before being transported. While the exact duration has not been disclosed, his mother describes him lying helplessly on hot asphalt while officers discussed how to get him help. No EMS ever arrived during that time. His mother, Eleshiea Goode, has pressed for transparency and accountability, citing delayed or denied access to records including those from the medical examiner and hospital, and frustration over the lack of communication about body-worn camera footage or the circumstances of death. The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division named 10 officers involved and has delayed releasing the body-worn video due to the technical complexity and volume of footage involved. His exact cause of death has not been made public. The investigation is ongoing and his mother is demanding answers.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/man-became-unresponsive-in-police-custody-later-died/65212511
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/residents-familiar-man-died-police-custody-mental-health/65225938
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/handcuffed-man-dies-in-baltimore-police-custody-ambulance-never-arrived/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/police-response-baltimore-custody-maryland-death-meltion/