Three days after a man died on the train tracks at the 79th Street Red Line station and two days after his death was ruled a homicide, authorities still could not provide details about what led to his death.
An autopsy on the 32-year-old man, whose identity had not been released Thursday night, found he died late Tuesday night from being electrocuted on the third rail. The Chicago Fire Department confirmed they had transported the man to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A representative from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the autopsy report was correct but referred further questions to the investigating agency: the Chicago Police Department.
As of Friday, police listed their follow-up investigation as a death investigation. Spokesman Tom Ahern reiterated that Precinct 2 detectives were investigating the matter as a death investigation and said there was no additional information.
CTA stations are equipped with video cameras, and a CTA representative said in a statement Tuesday night that the agency is cooperating with the police investigation.
Safety, both real and perceived, on the CTA has been a persistent concern after the pandemic as the agency works to attract riders. The transit service earlier this week rolled out a weapon detection system based on artificial intelligence as part of its effort to reduce violent crime on its trains. The agency last reported a decline in crime at the end of 2023.
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