85-Year-Old Dies While in Police Custody

Woman experienced medical emergency while in police cruiser

An 85-year-old woman died while being transported by police to a mental health center on Tuesday, according to Fairfax County Police.

Officers were called to the Inova Fairfax Hospital emergency room during the early-morning hours because the woman was acting irrationally, said police.

Police say the officers determined that Mary Jean Martin, of Stuart Mill Road in Oakton, Va., had mental confusion and were concerned for her safety, so they decided to transport her to Woodburn Mental Health Center.  

While in the police cruiser on the way to the mental health center, Martin had a medical emergency and the officers began CPR and called for rescue units, according to authorities.  She was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities said the cause of death has not yet been determined and the investigation is ongoing.

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