PORTLAND, Ore. — Jean Michael DesCamps died while being transported by Milwaukie police officers to a mental health facility on Dec. 12. Members of the DesCamps family talked to KGW and shared memories of their son and brother, while trying to make sense of what happened that night.
"I have so many pictures I could show you, just him making funny faces all the time because that’s how he was," said Gabby Cabatic, DesCamps' sister. "I miss him so much. I haven’t seen him in so long because of the drugs."
Portland police said DesCamps was discharged from the emergency room at Providence Hospital but he didn't want to leave. That's when Milwaukie police showed up.
"He had warrants out for his arrest, but they determined that it wasn't in his best interest to take him to jail," said Michael DesCamps, Jean Michael's father. "They felt he was a danger to himself and maybe other people."
Officers decided to drive DesCamps to Unity Center for Behavioral Health.
"There is a statute that allows us to put a police officer hold on someone in that situation, and so, the officers put a POH on him and drove him to Unity," said Kevin Allen, a sergeant with the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
When officers arrived at Unity, they found DesCamps unresponsive, and they were not able to revive him.
PPB is leading the investigation. They said his death was likely due to a drug overdose and contributing natural causes.
"It was my worst fear that this would actually happen someday," said Michael DesCamps.
Cabatic said her brother lived on the streets in Portland and struggled for years with addiction. She believes he was using meth and fentanyl.
"He was a really good kid and I think he just ran into the wrong crowd and wrong friends and just went down the wrong path," said Michael DesCamps.
While the DesCamps family understands their son was using drugs, they still have questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
"I want to know what happened because we don't really have a lot of answers," Cabatic said. "How's he overdosing in the back seat, and no one does anything? They realize he's unresponsive when they get to the facility. That doesn't make any sense to me."
As family and friends reflect on the short life of DesCamps, Cabatic said they're reminded that each person they pass on the street is worthy of love and protection.
"Just because they are drug addicts, doesn't mean they're not human," Cabatic said.
Milwaukie police said the investigation by PPB is standard practice when a person dies while in the custody of law enforcement. Two Milwaukie police officers were placed on administrative leave.
Portland police told KGW the officers in this case were wearing body cameras, so that footage will give investigators a clearer timeline of the events. The footage has not been made public at this time.