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Autopsy: Councilman Green died from 'combined toxicity of chloroethane and methamphetamine'

Houston City Council Member Larry Green died from "combined toxicity of chloroethane and methamphetamine," according to the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.

HOUSTON – It was the news that sent shockwaves through Houston City Hall and other areas Friday morning. Houston City Council Member Larry Green died from "combined toxicity of chloroethane and methamphetamine," according to the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The cause of death was ruled "an accident."

Description of substances found in his system:

Chloroethane (ethyl chloride) is an organic solvent that is found in aerosol (spray can) preparations. It has been used as a solvent, refrigerant, local anesthetic and in the manufacture of various other chemical compounds. It is sold in spray cans as a “cleaning solvent” under the trade names Black Max or Maximum Impact; these sprays are often inhaled because the vapor causes a sense of drunkenness and relaxation. At higher concentrations, inhalation can be fatal. There is no safe “dose” of chloroethane, and no way to predict how much inhalant has been taken in during a “use.” Methamphetamine is a stimulant that is commonly known as “meth,” or “speed.” Methamphetamine has direct effects on the body to produce a sense of excited elation. But that euphoric feeling is accompanied by direct toxic effects on the brain and on the heart. Street preparations of methamphetamine are unpredictable in their concentration of active compound, and are considered dangerous and potentially lethal at any concentration.

Friends and colleagues said they were stunned by the news.

Mayor Sylvester Turner released the following statement late Friday morning:

Larry Green served honorably as a Houston city councilman. He fought to improve the community and open the doors of opportunity for people who shared his vision for equality, economic opportunity and safe neighborhoods.

The autopsy results do not diminish the great work he did for the people of District K. However, it does remind us that our actions have consequences.

I hope everyone will continue to celebrate his life instead of focusing on his death. I was not aware of any substance abuse issues Councilman Green may have struggled with in his personal life. At city hall, he was a leader and focused on serving his district.

His death reminds us of the importance of checking on our loved ones, friends and colleagues.

Councilman Green was a dedicated public servant who promoted economic development, planted trees, supported art and increased the number of projects throughout his district.

That is how I will choose to remember him. More than anything, I ask people to continue to pray for his family, who must deal with his death every single day.

City Council Member Dwight Boykins, who was friends with Green, said Friday morning he didn’t know anything about Green’s drug usage but wish he would have in order to help.

“I was in his space like other friends, fraternity brothers, and others, and I…you know… no one saw anything,” he said. “So we just pray for his brothers and nephews and nieces, man, as they go through this, that they’re strong and remember the legacy that Larry left.”

Meanwhile, Green’s Chief of Staff Donald Perkins said earlier this morning he and other staff members did not want to know how Green died.

Perkins said that decision gives him peace and is his way of dealing with the grief.

News of Green’s death broke just before the March 6 weekly council meeting started.

HPD officers were asked to check on Green after he missed a meeting, Houston Assistant Police Chief Wendy Baimbridge said. Officers forced entry into his home and found Green in his bed.

Baimbridge said there were no signs of foul play. Green was 52.

He was laid to rest on March 12 at Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland.

Green served as a council member since January 2012 for the newly formed District K, which spanned from the edge of the Texas Medical Center to the part of Houston that spanned into Fort Bend County. His district also included both Houston and Fort Bend ISDs and NRG Park.

The Houston Police Department posted the following statement:

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