Baltimore’s emergency dispatch system failed due to the heat during a mental health response that ended with a man dying while in police custody, Mayor Brandon Scott confirmed.

The failure of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is under investigation by the Baltimore Police Department after the unidentified man died after being restrained by officers on June 24, according to the mayor.

“We know that technology systems fail,” Scott said. “We are investigating what happened with that particular incident and how that played a part in the unfortunate incident that happened.”

“That’s all a part of the investigation, to go back and see exactly what happened, who did what, what happened with the system,” he added.

According to a preliminary investigation by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the man approached an officer who was in a patrol car stopped at a light. The incident occurred at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road.

While speaking to the officer, the man walked into the middle of the road several times, according to the AG’s office.

Officers put handcuffs and leg restraints on the man. He became unresponsive while he was restrained as police were waiting for medical personnel to arrive, the AG’s office said.

The AG’s office noted that the incident began around 9:40 p.m., and by 10:30 p.m., EMS had still not arrived at the scene.

The officers transported the man to a hospital in a patrol vehicle. He was pronounced dead hours later just after 3 a.m. June 25.

During a review of dispatch audio, the officer was asked several times if an ambulance had arrived.

The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) is still investigating the incident.

Scott emphasized that the city has backup systems in place.

“There are backup procedures and things that are in place, and a part of the investigation is to go back and look and see how those were used in this situation as well,” Scott said.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.