Fort Worth Police have released surveillance and body camera videos following a man’s death after being detained at a Fort Worth mall by police and security officers.
The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on April 11 at the La Gran Plaza, a shopping center on the 4200 block of South Freeway near Interstate 35W.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREIn a press release Wednesday, Fort Worth Police said security guards noticed a man, identified as 20-year-old Brandon Zapata, causing a disturbance near a carousel at the mall.
Zapata was acting “erratic” and guards requested assistance from a Fort Worth police officer who was working off-duty at La Gran Plaza, according to police. Security guards for La Gran Plaza and the Fort Worth officer attempted to help Zapata, but police said “he became combative.”
Get top local stories delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP “To ensure the safety of patrons and Mr. Zapata, the FWPD officer and La Gran Plaza security personnel, attempted to place Mr. Zapata in handcuffs. During this encounter, Mr. Zapata became unresponsive and officers immediately began providing emergency medical aid,” the release Wednesday stated.
Zapata was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
Dr. Alex Del Carmen, a criminologist and Associate Dean at Tarleton State University’s School of Criminology, reviewed the videos released with NBC 5.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“Not knowing anything about his medical condition prior to the incident, I think a reasonable police officer would look at him…that he’s acting out,” Dr. Del Carmen said. “I think initially, the officer exercised a great deal of patience trying to hold him down. Then someone came to assist him.”
Del Carmen said what concerned him was what a second officer’s body camera showed. The body camera video also released by Fort Worth police on Wednesday was worn by an officer who was called to assist.
The video shows an officer kneeling on Zapata’s back as he is laying on the ground.
“We advise police officers not to do that. Not to put a suspect facing down on the ground, on the floor. Even in an attempt to apprehend him. The reason for that is exactly because of the fact that the person can be under the influence of narcotics. That will simply affect the pathways to breathe,” Del Carmen explained. “I’m not saying the person died because of that. What I am saying, however, is that is a type of apprehension that we tell police officers not to follow because of the potential that exists that the individual, especially under the influence of narcotics, can end up dying.”
Fort Worth Police noted there was a concern that Zapata may have been under the influence of a narcotic. Officers administered Narcan just after 1 p.m.
"Breathe," an officer is heard on camera saying.
The autopsy is pending but police said right now, preliminary information suggests Zapata had a medical emergency.
Zapata’s family reviewed the videos with Fort Worth Police earlier this week and were aware portions would be released to the public, according to Zapata’s cousin, Reuben Garcia.
“From the video we saw, they did impede the airway of Brandon Zapata,” Garcia said this week. “Brandon was struggling to get air. They were trying to handcuff him. So, all he was doing was trying to get air.”
Del Carmen said videos will be crucial evidence as information on the incident is being gathered. He added, videos don’t tell the whole story.
“You really don’t know what you don’t know at this point. In terms of watching the video, there’s no way that anyone just from watching the video could say, what led to his death,” he said.
Timeline from Fort Worth Police:
- 12:48 p.m.: Fort Worth Police Department received a 911 call from a person reporting a person was fighting with a FWPD Officer at La Gran Plaza who was working at the location in an off-duty capacity.
- 12:52 p.m.: FWPD Officers were dispatched to the location.
- 12:53 p.m.: MedStar was notified.
- 12:57 p.m. FWPD Officers arrived and located the officer inside the building with Mr. Zapata.
- 12:58 p.m., Zapata became unresponsive and Officers began CPR.
- 1:02 p.m.: Narcan administered
- 1:05 p.m.: Officers continued to provide medical assistance to Zapata until Medstar personnel arrived on the scene and took over care
- 1:47 p.m.: Zapata was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased by hospital personnel
The Major Case Unit is asking that anyone who witnessed this event or has video of this event to call 817-392-4438.
