Sheriff’s office investigating after suspect dies being arrested by Kennewick police

Benton County deputies are investigating the death of a 46-year-old man who died after being placed into the back of a Kennewick police car Thursday.

Kennewick officers had detained Carlos E. Rodriguez after getting concerned calls about him being in the street near Canal Drive and Crosswinds Boulevard, Kennewick police said in a Facebook post.

It was the second time that day that people had called after seeing him in the roadway near Best Buy and Hobby Lobby.

Police were first called to check on him about 10:15 a.m. They found Rodriguez on the sidewalk and since he wasn’t breaking the law, the officers warned him not to block traffic and left about 10:35 a.m.

After they left, they discovered Rodriguez had a warrant for his arrest. When they returned, he was cooperative and they arrested him at 11:09 a.m.

After being handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle, Rodriguez became unresponsive about 11:14 a.m.. Officers called for medics and gave him Narcan, a drug used to counter the effects of opioids such as fentanyl.

Kennewick paramedics arrived five minutes later and started trying to revive him but he died at the scene.

To ensure all procedures were properly followed, Kennewick police asked the Benton County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the death and an autopsy was planned Friday, Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said.

Rodriguez had a lengthy history of trouble with the law, according to online records. Mostly recently, he was charged in July in Benton County District Court with DUI and using drug paraphernalia, according to public records.

This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 12:19 PM.