Wyandanch man dies after police tussle

A Wyandanch man had a heart attack and died early Saturday after a struggle with police officers who had arrested him on suspicion of disorderly conduct, Suffolk County police said.

Willie Jackson, 45, was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m. at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip.

Homicide detectives were investigating Jackson's death, police said.

A 911 caller reported an intoxicated man who refused to leave Peace Makers Motorcycle Club, 1575 Straight Path, Wyandanch, about 12:45 a.m., police said. Officials are conducting toxicology reports, which are routine in such cases, police said.

Officers arrived and tried to arrest Jackson on the disorderly conduct suspicion. Jackson struggled with officers before he was arrested, police said.

Peace Makers club member Barber Pitts said she stopped by the club about 1:30 a.m. and saw a man in handcuffs in front of a Chinese takeout restaurant next door. The man was then taken away in an ambulance, she said.

Pitts said she didn't know Jackson by name but had seen him at the club before. The club has put on children's carnivals and serves Thanksgiving meals and delivers Christmas baskets to the needy.

"We're a really respectable club," Pitts said. "We just don't know what happened."

Detectives ask that anyone with information about what happened call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

With Matthew Chayes