The GBI is investigating how a 33-year-old Rome man died while in police custody on Nov. 21, but so far no official cause of death has been listed, Deputy Coroner Gene Proctor said.

A woman who was arrested with Kenneth Eugene Russell Carter, 2526 Callier Springs Road, told police he may have swallowed “a large quantity” of methamphetamine during the traffic stop leading up to his arrest, police reported.

Carter’s body has been sent to the state crime lab, Proctor said.

It is standard procedure for the GBI to be called in when someone dies while in police custody, Proctor told the Rome News-Tribune.

According to Rome police reports:

Carter and Latisha Leighann Womack, 25, of 205 Avenue D in Lindale, were arrested in front of a Wheeler Street address after 911 received a call saying a woman wanted by police was seen in Carter’s red Ford Mustang.

Womack later told police Carter likely swallowed the drugs when police pulled them over that afternoon, police reported.

Police arrested them around 2:17 p.m., after police said they found eight pills of suspected hydrocodone, a set of digital scales and a partially smoked joint in the passenger door of the vehicle.

On the way to the jail, Carter complained the handcuffs were hurting his arm. The report states that Carter had an injury to his left arm from a previous car wreck.

Police arrived at the jail’s sally port with Carter at 3:15 p.m., according to Chief Deputy Tom Caldwell of the Sheriff’s Office.

He hadn’t complained of any other issue, the report stated, until they arrived at the jail and he began to convulse and spit up blood. Jail medical staff attended to Carter while EMS was called.

EMS arrived at the jail at 3:28 p.m., according to 911 records.

Carter was sent to Floyd Medical Center by EMS, where he went into cardiac arrest and died, Proctor explained.

He was pronounced dead at Floyd Medical Center at 4:32 p.m. Coroner Barry Henderson said.

Womack was being held in jail without bond Friday on charges of felony probation violation and misdemeanor possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and possession of drug-related objects.

The GBI case investigator was unavailable for comment Friday.

(Rome News-Tribune)