Body camera footage has been released showing three Phoenix police officers pinning a man who later died, to asphalt that was 100-degrees.
According to NBC News, a call to 911 reported that a man, who has since been identified as Ramon Lopez, 28, was “acting kind of funny,” claiming he was sticking out his tongue, grabbing himself, and looking at people’s cars in a strip mall parking lot.
Surveillance footage released by the Phoenix Police Department showed Lopez running through the parking, across the street, and into a convenience store after authorities arrived. Inside the store, Lopez stole a drink and threw it at an officer.
He then took off running from officers again before tumbling on the roadway, where three officers wrestled to detain him. One officer can be heard telling the victim to “rollover” several times as they tried to get him on his stomach to handcuff him.
Lopez can be heard moaning as one officer said he thought Lopez’s left arm seemed broken. Another said he’s “code 237,” which is used to describe someone under the influence of illegal drugs.
A couple of minutes later, Lopez was handcuffed but remained on the pavement for three more minutes as police got additional restraints and then placed him in an SUV.
The struggle is said to have taken place around 10:40 am on August 4, that day, and time the temperature was over 100 degrees.
The National Weather Service said blacktop in direct sunlight can go over temperatures by 60 degrees. If it’s at 131 degrees, it can cause second-degree burns; however, it is unclear if Lopez suffered from any.
Officers said they checked on Lopez one minute after they started driving, he was unresponsive but had a pulse.
Video shows officers pouring water on Lopez’s head and telling him to wake up.
“He has a pulse,” one of the officers said. “He’s fine.”
He was later pronounced dead at Phoenix Hospital.
The victim’s brother, David Gonzalez, told KNXV-TV that “nobody’s perfect, but he didn’t deserve any of that.”
“They were on top of him with all their weight on the hot asphalt,” Gonzales told the outlet. “Who wouldn’t be fighting? He was fighting for his life, and he lost.”
Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, a department spokesperson, did not reveal the identity of the officers involved, but she said they have served for 14 years, three years, and 10 years, respectively. An internal professional standards investigation is underway, as well as a homicide investigation.
“Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law won’t be made until all the facts are known,” she said.
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