San Diego trans woman dies after melee with deputies

San Diego trans woman dies after melee with deputies- Blade

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A transsexual woman died four days after a melee with sheriff’s deputies at the downtown jail. The coroner’s office was awaiting toxicology results before announcing a cause of death. “There is nothing to indicate that the use of force caused this death,” Sgt. Rick Empson said last week. Vanessa Facen, 35, had fought with deputies and medical personnel numerous times since she was found naked and bleeding inside her neighbor’s Spring Valley home on Nov. 17. Facen apparently climbed onto the balcony, dove through a neighbor’s glass door and tumbled down a flight of stairs. Facen, who was “covered with blood from head to toe,” opened the door for deputies, told them she was HIV-positive and appeared to be cooperating, Sgt. Paul Robbins said. Empson said an unknown number of deputies fought with Facen when she was inside the jailhouse and she stopped breathing. Although Facen had breasts and lived as a woman, the department was treating her as a man because she had male genitalia, Lt. Tom Bennett said.