African American man dies after getting pepper-sprayed by US police

Houston: An African American man arrested in the US state of Alabama died shortly after he was pepper-sprayed by police, a media report said today.

A resident called police to say that 35-year-old Anthony Dewayne Ware was sitting on the front porch of a home with a gun, police said.

"Mr. Ware had an active warrant that had been verified for attempting to elude police," CNN quoted Tuscaloosa police Asst. Chief Ronnie Dunn as saying.

When officers arrived at the scene on Friday, Ware bolted and fled into the nearby woods, police said.

"Officers chased him into the woods, and when the officers caught up to him, he resisted arrest," Dunn said. Police pepper-sprayed Ware, who continued struggling but was eventually handcuffed, but collapsed while officers were walking out of the woods with him, the report said.

Ware was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. A team of investigators from both inside and outside the city police department has launched a probe into the incident.

Dunn said the incident was captured on video, which will be released to the public "as soon as the Tuscaloosa County homicide investigators say it can be released without hindering the ongoing investigation".

However, ABC News reported yesterday, citing police that Ware was not found in possession of a weapon.

Six officers were involved in Ware's arrest, Sgt. Brent Blankley of the Tuscaloosa police told reporters. The officers have not been placed on leave, it said.