Post by Admin on Oct 2, 2021 16:22:31 GMT -4
Best known for the Movie Thank God It's Friday
Raymond Vitte, 33, an Actor, Dies After Scuffle With Police
AP
Feb. 22, 1983
Credit...The New York Times Archives
This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them.
Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions.
The actor Raymond Anthony Vitte, costar of the recently canceled ABC-TV series ''The Quest,'' died in the back of a patrol car Sunday night after scuffling with the police, the authorities said today.
The police had gone to Mr. Vitte's Studio City apartment shortly before 11 P.M. after receiving complaints that a man had been shouting and chanting all day, said Lieut.
Charles Higbie. He said Mr. Vitte, 33 years old, ordered the officers to leave and ''placed a curse on them.''
He said the actor lunged twice at two officers who struck Mr. Vitte with their nightsticks and sprayed him with tear gas ''with no apparent effect.'' He said Mr. Vitte then ran toward an outdoor swimming pool, but fell on the concrete.
Lieutenant Higbie said the actor was carried screaming to a patrol car in which the officers planned to take him to a hospital for mental evaluation. Once in the car, however, Mr. Vitte ''ceased breathing,'' he said. The cause of death was under investigation, a coroner's investigator said.
Mr. Vitte appeared in such films as ''Thank God It's Friday,'' ''Car Wash,'' ''Grambling White Tigers'' and ''Heart Beat.'' The show ''The Quest'' was introduced this season and canceled after a few episodes.
My sister LOVED this man so much back when had to add this piece he was handsome.