Homeless man beaten at subway stop died of drug overdose; ‘stress’ of attack listed as secondary cause

Kevin Powell, 54, who was homeless, died after a beating at a stop on the CTA’s Blue Line in March. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times)

A drug overdose was the primary cause of death for a homeless man who was brutally beaten at a downtown subway station, allegedly by a CTA worker, with the “stress” of the attack listed as a secondary cause.

Kevin Powell, 54, was beaten for about an hour and shoved down sets of stairs after he was found sleeping on a wheelchair early March 25 at the La Salle Street Blue Line stop at 150 W. Congress Parkway.