Los Angeles(Thechieftainspear) – The Los Angeles Police Department has released graphic surveillance and body camera footage capturing the events that led to the death of 55-year-old Steven Miller, who died in custody at the Valley Jail Section (VJS) while reportedly suffering from heroin withdrawal.
The incident began around 1:15 a.m. on March 9, when LAPD officers conducted a routine traffic stop in the Mission area due to a vehicle headlight violation. Bodycam video shows Miller, the driver, being cooperative during the stop. A woman passenger was also in the car, though she has not been identified.
During the encounter, officers discovered Miller had an outstanding felony warrant. After confirming his identity, they asked him to step out of the vehicle. “I have a warrant, huh?” Miller responded calmly as he was placed in handcuffs. Officers then searched the vehicle and found illegal narcotics.
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Although the woman denied ownership of the drugs, Miller took full responsibility, saying, “Everything that’s in there is mine, all the drugs that are in that car are mine… Officer, I’m giving you my word.”
Miller was transported to the jail and booked. He remained in custody for approximately 16 hours before informing medical staff that he was a heroin user experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Medical personnel assessed and treated him, clearing him to return to his cell.
Over the next two days, Miller remained in custody without any apparent incident. But early in the morning on March 11, around 5 a.m., surveillance footage captured a harrowing sequence. As Miller stood inside his cell near a sink, he suddenly collapsed, striking his head on a toilet and the concrete floor. He managed to rise briefly but then fell again, this time hitting the floor with even greater force.
The footage, which includes slowed-down and zoomed-in segments, shows other inmates stirring awake in response to the noise of the falls. After a third collapse—where Miller struck his chin on a nearby bed frame and again landed hard on the floor—he lay motionless. Jail personnel were alerted by another detainee, and staff quickly arrived to assist.
Miller was taken to the facility’s medical dispensary. There, officials say he began to struggle with his breathing and eventually lost consciousness. Paramedics from the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded but were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead approximately one hour after his initial collapse.
An autopsy is pending as the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner continues its investigation into the cause of death.
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is handling the case, and officials say the incident remains under review.
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