Hakeem Kuta, a 17-year-old Bronx, N.Y., native, was smoking marijuana with others in the lobby of an apartment building in the New York City borough Thursday evening when police officers approached, according to Raw Story. The group began to run in different directions, and Hakeem and a 14-year-old friend ended up on the building’s rooftop, where Hakeem slipped and fell six stories. He died Saturday after being in critical condition for nearly two days, police say.
Some of the other teens who had reportedly been smoking marijuana ran up to the rooftop on another side of the building and were able to jump onto the roof of an adjacent building. Hakeem and his 14-year-old friend, however, found themselves on the north side of the building’s rooftop and encountered a 10-foot wall on the next structure, the police report explains.
Hakeem climbed onto the edge of the roof and slipped, and his 14-year-old friend tried to grab him but was unsuccessful. The two police officers who were chasing them were able to grab the 14-year-old just as he, too, was starting to fall, police say.
Police went down and found Hakeem in an alleyway and began to administer CPR until the paramedics arrived.
A spokesman for the New York City Police Department said that the officers told Hakeem and his 14-year-old friend to “relax” during the chase.
Hakeem did not have an arrest record.
According to new NYPD policy issued by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, those caught with less than 25 grams of marijuana in the city are to be issued a citation and not taken into custody.
Read more at Raw Story.