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Brooklyn Man Dies Shortly After Early Morning Encounter With Police

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn man and father of nine died Thursday after a member of his family was questioned by police about a cellphone robbery.

Officers responded to an early-morning report of a strong-arm robbery at Rockaway Parkway and Kings Highway. Upon arrival, they were met by a 21-year-old woman who said she was punched in the face and robbed of her phone, police said.

With the alleged victim in one of their cars, officers then canvassed the Brownsville neighborhood and saw the suspect run into a building at 379 Rockaway Parkway, police said. Responding officers then began to search the building, knocking on doors until they reached a rear basement, where they were answered by Carlo Alcis, 43, authorities said. Police spoke to Alcis' 15-year-old son and showed him to the victim, who did not identify him as the perpetrator, police said.

Brooklyn Man Dies Shortly After Early-Morning Encounter With Police

Shortly after the encounter with police, Alcis began to experience seizure-like symptoms, and officers immediately called EMS and performed CPR, police said. Alcis was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The family said they were asleep inside their apartment and that officers forced their way in. Police said they knocked, 1010 WINS' Eileen Lehpamer reported.

"We not used to police coming inside our house," Alcis' nephew said.

The family has hired an attorney and has demanded an investigation into the incident. Police said they are still conducting their own investigation.

"They want an investigation by the appropriate government authorities of what the police did that night, which ultimately led to the wrongful death of this innocent victim," the family's attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, told 1010 WINS.

Brooklyn Man Dies Shortly After Early Morning Encounter With Police

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