A drug suspect was busted for smoking pot at the College of Staten Island – but later died after a violent struggle with a cop whose gun he had wrested away, The Post has learned.
The suspect, Cory Holmes, 39, suffered a fatal heart attack at Richmond University Medical Center shortly after the 12:15 p.m. incident on the college’s campus in Willowbrook, sources continued.
The drama unfolded when a police officer using a campus bathroom near an athletic field sniffed marijuana emanating from a stall, sources said.
The cop confronted Holmes – an off-duty member of the college’s auxiliary services – who then tried to run away, sources added.
Holmes was pursued to Parking Lot 6 on the campus’ north side and a struggle ensued where the suspect managed to rip the cop’s gun out of its holster, sources continued.
As the two men fought over possession of the firearm, the slide was pulled back and one round was ejected, sources said. No shots were actually fired.
Two civilians spotted the men wrestling on the ground and joined in the fray, assisting the officer handcuff Holmes, who later died, sources said.
The cop was taken to Staten Island University Hospital to be treated for cuts and bruises.
The investigation is ongoing and the college’s North Loop Road is temporarily closed until further notice.