Officials ruled the death of a gay Black man "accidental" after he was found facedown on a street in Washington, D.C., per NBC News.
According to D.C.'s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Ernest Terrell Newkirk, 55, died on May 28 of “acute ethanol intoxication” with “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease" and “end-stage renal disease of unknown etiology" as contributing factors.
Newkirk was found dead facedown on the street hours after telling his partner, Roger Turpin, that he was driving home from a Black Pride event at Ugly Mug bar in D.C. Newkirk didn't have his phone, wallet, or jewelry when he was found. His car was found a week later roughly a mile from where his body was recovered.
The Metropolitan Police Department told NBC News that an investigation into Newkirk's death is ongoing. Police declined to comment on the medical examiner's findings.
The department previously said: “Mr. Newkirk’s death does not appear to be a result of foul play.”
Newkirk previously worked for the Washington Wizards as a chef, owned a landscaping business, and was heavily involved in the local LGBTQ community.
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