'Deeply saddened' NAACP seeks answers in El Paso man's death after police arrest video
The El Paso branch of the NAACP is seeking answers regarding a Black man's death in El Paso police custody following a struggle with officers last week.
Jonathan Rose Eddens, 35, of El Paso, died at a hospital on April 14 following a police confrontation that's under investigation by the Texas Rangers and the El Paso Police Department's Internal Affairs and Crimes Against Persons Unit. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
The NAACP El Paso Branch in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 23, said that it was "deeply saddened and disturbed" by the death of Eddens, adding that the death "undermines public trust in our law enforcement."
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"This tragedy raises serious questions about the procedures and practices of local law enforcement agencies, and we demand an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to this devastating loss," the longtime civil rights group stated.
A confrontation occurred on the Sunday afternoon of April 14 when police went to check on a man walking in and out of traffic in the area of Alameda Avenue and San Marcial Street in the Chamizal neighborhood in South El Paso, a police spokesman said.
Eddens was wrestled down by several officers on a sidewalk in front of an auto shop in the 3300 block of Alameda Avenue, according to a passerby's cellphone video aired on Channel 9-KTSM. He died at a hospital.
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Police officials have released almost no details as the investigation continues.
The El Paso branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was established in 1914 and is the oldest NAACP branch in Texas.
"The family of Jonathan Eddens and the El Paso community deserve answers and assurance that steps will be taken to prevent such tragedies in the future," the NAACP El Paso stated. "Furthermore, we urge our community members to come together during this difficult time to seek justice and promote healing."
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: NAACP El Paso demands answers in Black man's death in police custody
