Tito Jackson's death: Police say it was a medical emergency

Tito Jackson, a member of the Jackson 5, suffered some sort of medical emergency before dying Sunday in New Mexico, according to local law enforcement officials.

Gallup police said Monday that one of their officers was stopped by a person at the American Heritage Plaza who told them there was “a person in need of medical attention” and called for an ambulance. The sick person was later identified as Michael Jackson, the brother of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and R&B superstar Janet Jackson.

“The individual was then transported to a local hospital in Gallup, New Mexico, where he was pronounced dead. Following this, the hospital requested the presence of detectives and the Office of the Medical Investigator,” the agency said in a statement on its Facebook account. “The deceased has been identified as Toriano ‘Tito’ Jackson, 70, of Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

The ministry added that the information comes from an ongoing preliminary investigation and that investigators are actively interviewing witnesses and reviewing physical and electronic records. It noted that the ministry's understanding of the facts and circumstances “may evolve as additional evidence is gathered and analyzed.”

Gallup police did not immediately respond to The Times' requests for further comment Tuesday.

An autopsy has been scheduled and Jackson's cause of death will be determined, a spokesman for the University of New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque confirmed Tuesday. It typically takes six to eight weeks to complete a full autopsy report, which allows for toxicology and histology testing.

Jackson's three sons, who make up the music group 3T, announced their father's death Sunday night in a family statement. At the time, they did not release the cause of death or details about when, where and how he died. They did say, however, that they were “shocked, saddened and heartbroken.” Representatives for Jackson did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.

“Our dad was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” sons Taj, Taryll and TJ said in a statement posted on 3T’s Instagram. “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson of the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some may know him as ‘Poppa T.’ However, he will be greatly missed. This will forever be ‘Tito time’ for us. Please remember to do what our dad always preached, ‘Love one another.’ We love you, Dad.”

In a separate tribute, TJ Jackson wrote that his father's death “crushed” him, referring to his mother's death in 1994, which led to a second-degree murder conviction against a man she was dating.

“Losing a parent is extremely difficult. Losing both of them in this way has left me with an incredibly hostile feeling and paranoia that I will have to overcome,” he wrote on Instagram.

“When it comes to my dad in particular, I try to celebrate the many incredible experiences I had with him, but honestly, I can’t stand knowing he’s not here,” he added. “He always embodied strength, toughness, and poise. In other words, he wasn’t meant to go so soon. It just goes to show that we never know when our time has come.”

Taryll Jackson said in a separate tribute that he had “just checked in” on his father's health earlier in the day.

“People are hurting, crying and devastated. You were so loved!” he wrote on Instagram. “You touched so many people and impacted so many lives. You were strong, sweet and kind with the warmest smile. Your laugh was genuine. Your heart was gold. Down to earth, loving, easy going and so cool. It was always a goal to be on stage with the Jacksons, but when someone asked me how my experience was, I always said the part I loved most was spending time with you,” he wrote.

Taj Jackson posted a series of photos with his father, captioned: “My legend. Dad.”

Tito Jackson, the third child of the Jackson family, is the first person of this generation to die since Michael Jackson. Patriarch Joe Jackson died in 2018.