Man dies in Haddon Township police custody

A 37-year-old Paulsboro man died in the back of a Haddon Township police cruiser Saturday after allegedly struggling with police while being taken into custody, authorities said Monday.

Shron Norman passed out in the rear of the vehicle and "died despite police efforts to perform CPR," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and Haddon Township police said in a written statement.

Norman was pronounced dead at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden.

An autopsy Sunday revealed no evidence of trauma to Norman's body, authorities said. The medical examiner is awaiting results of toxicology tests before determining a cause of death.

Police Chief Mark Cavallo referred questions to the prosecutor's office. A spokesman with that office was unavailable for comment.

Norman was arrested after a staff member at Crown Fried Chicken on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Haddon Township called police around 1:30 a.m. Saturday to report that a man was threatening customers and damaging store property, authorities said.

On an in-store surveillance recording, made available Monday by Rashid Khan, the employee who said he called police, Norman can be seen stumbling into the store and banging on the counter and shouting. He then lowers his pants to his ankles.

"I couldn't understand what he was saying. He was just mumbling," Khan said Monday. "I was too scared."

An apparent acquaintance of Norman's then followed him into the store, Khan said. After Khan ordered both men to leave, Norman started to bang on the cash register. His companion persuaded him to leave.

Township police struggled with Norman outside, out of camera range, Khan said. Two officers responded, but it was not immediately clear if both attempted to subdue Norman. One officer sustained minor injuries, according to authorities.

The prosecutor's office is investigating. Witnesses are asked to call Lance Saunders, an investigator with the prosecutor's office, at 856-225-8513.