Crime & Safety

Death of Clarksburg Man Under Investigation

Police: Nathan Jones, 39, lost consciousness after he was pepper sprayed

CLARKSBURG—Montgomery County Police are investigating the death of a Clarksburg man, who apparently lost consciousness following an alleged dispute with roommates and being pepper sprayed by officers who claimed he resisted arrest.

Nathan Jones, 39, was pronounced dead at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital on Monday night, Montgomery County Police said in a statement. 

Police said the incidents began to unfold at around 4:45 p.m., when Montgomery County Police responded to reports of a resident being violent and erratic at a residence in the 23400 block of Tailor Shop Place.

Find out what's happening in Germantownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Roommates alleged that Jones had threatened them with weapons.

Officers determined an assault occurred and tried to arrest Jones. But police claim Jones resisted and had to be sprayed with "OC spray," which is sometimes referred to as pepper spray, in order for officers to regain control.  

Find out what's happening in Germantownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police said, as part of protocol, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service had already treated Jones for his exposure to the pepper spray and had left the scene.

Shortly afterward, police noticed that Jones was beginning to lose consciousness and requested further assistance from MCFRS, which transported Jones to the hospital.

Limited information was available at the time this article was published. Patch will update this article as the story develops.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.