American dies at police station

PHUKET TOWN: An American man died after falling off a chair early yesterday morning while in custody at the Phuket Town Police Station. Police named the 56-year-old man as William Bryan Brooks. Pol Maj Adul Nirapai of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that he had received a call late Monday night from staff at the Bai Fern restaurant on Chao Fa Nai Rd. They reported that they were unable to close the restaurant for the night as a man, who had been drinking all evening, had slipped off a chair and fallen asleep there. The man was subsequently picked up and taken to the station. While there, he fell off a chair and remained unconscious on the floor. After he had been lying there for some time, police checked on him and found that he was no longer breathing. Their efforts to resuscitate him failed. “I don’t know exactly what caused his death, but he may have had some sort of illness,” Maj Adul said. The police found a bank book, some clothing and a press card in Mr Brooks’ bag. Will Hebler, Phuket warden for the American Embassy, told the Gazette, “He was a very well educated man from California. I’m not sure where he worked, but I was told that he had been a teacher in Vietnam. He was known to most as ‘Brendan’.” Brooks’ body remains in the morgue at Wachira Hospital, awaiting collection by relatives. Pathologists have yet to disclose the autopsy results.