Cincinnati Police report the District Five Violent Crimes Squad officers obtained a search warrant on Tuesday for 2869 W. McMicken Avenue as the result of an investigation into ongoing heroin sales. The Cincinnati Police SWAT Unit served the warrant on their behalf. SWAT made entry into the residence and detained multiple individuals. After the house was secured, Violent Crimes Squad officers entered the house and took custody of the targeted suspects.
According to Cincinnati Police, as officers interacted with an individual now known as Josten Bowen, 31, they observed him concealing a foreign substance inside plastic bags in his mouth. Numerous commands were given to Bowen to spit out the substance. Bowen failed to spit out the substance and began to chew and/or try to swallow the bags. A Taser was then sparked in the air to gain compliance; the Taser was not deployed against Bowen.
Police report there were no other uses of force used against Bowen. Additional commands to spit out the substance were given and Bowen eventually expelled a baggie from his mouth. The baggie had been punctured and was not intact. Shortly after, Bowen became unresponsive.
Cincinnati police report that officers immediately requested the Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) respond and began life saving measures. Emergency crews arrived on scene and continued live saving attempts but were not successful.
Numerous items of contraband were recovered from the residence as part of the subsequent search warrant, to include: 257.81 grams of suspected heroin, 102.77 grams of suspected crack, $3,516 U.S. currency, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with a 30-round extended magazine.
The weight of the baggie which Bowen expelled from his mouth was 14.65 grams. All suspected drug material, including the above baggie, will be submitted to the Coroner’s Office for official drug confirmation.
The investigation is ongoing pending autopsy and toxicology reports from the Coroner’s Office.