PITTSBURGH -- Former Allegheny County Medical Examiner Dr. Cyril Wecht has been hired to do an independent autopsy on a Monroeville man who died after being subdued with a Taser in Swissvale this week.

On Thursday, District Attorney Stephen Zappala said 37-year-old Andre Thomas had shown symptoms of Excited Delirium Syndrome -- namely, erratic and aggressive behavior that can end in sudden death, and is often brought on by cocaine.

While the cause of Thomas' death is still undetermined, some medical experts -- including Wecht -- regard the described syndrome as a false pseudo-science.

"In the absence of drugs, in my opinion, this is pure scientific conjecture," Wecht said. "It is a fiction that has been created."

Toxicology tests are pending on Thomas, who died after being taken into custody by Swissvale police on Hawthorne Avenue late Monday night.

County police investigators said Thomas got stunned after he made a movement toward the Swissvale officers, who were responding to several calls about a man yelling in the streets and banging on doors of homes.

Wecht said he's skeptical that a so-called Excited Delirium Syndrome can make someone suddenly become so agitated, super-strong and erratic that the person quickly, inexplicably dies.

The American Medical Association does not recognize excited delirium syndrome. Neither does the American Psychiatric Association.

"In my experience, the term 'excited delirium' has been used exclusively by law enforcement and in the legal world," said Dr. William Narrow, the APA's associate director of research.

Narrow said the term "doesn't fall into what would be legitimate medical science."

Wecht said he believes some prosecutors and law enforcement may use "excited delirium" as a rationalization.

"It gets them out of a difficult situation many times when you have these deaths occurring following police altercations -- in other words, 'It's something we could not have prevented. Hey man, he just got excited. In a state of delirious excitation, he died. We don't really know why.'"

Wecht questioned why "excited delirium syndrome" is not cited in other non-drug related deaths.

"They only seem to die when the altercation is with the cops," Wecht said. "It's never an altercation with their brother-in-law, with their neighbor."

Educational materials that county authorities supply to local law enforcement on "excited delirium syndrome" seek to teach police officers how to safely and effectively deal with suspected cases.

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