Man dies in Duarte council chambers

I just spotted this on our Web site:

Council speaker falls, dies
By Melissa Pamer, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/28/2008 08:54:13 PM PDT

DUARTE – A resident collapsed in City Council chambers after addressing the council during public comments Tuesday night and later died of a heart attack.

John McKiernan, 52, a longtime Duartean, attended the council meeting to speak to the panel about the height of a neighbor’s fence, which McKiernan said exceeded city limits.

“When he left the podium, he just collapsed … right there in my arms,” his friend, Jim Hunley, said through tears Wednesday.

McKiernan had said at the outset of his comments that he wasn’t feeling well, city officials said. He continued speaking and fell to the floor after he returned to his seat, City Manager Darrell George said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Bobby Wyche attended to McKiernan. He found him breathing and with a pulse.

When paramedics arrived, they used a defibrillator to attempt to revive McKiernan, then took him to a local hospital, where he died, George said.

The meeting was adjourned after McKiernan’s collapse.

Hunley said McKiernan died of a massive heart attack.