El Paso police release body camera videos of arrest of man who died in police custody
El Paso police released body camera footage of a struggle between officers and a man who later died at a hospital.
The body camera videos shows the interaction between several police officers and Jonathan Rose Eddens, 35, of El Paso, about 3:16 p.m. Sunday, April 14, when officers responded to a report of a man walking in and out of traffic in the area of Alameda Avenue and San Marcial Street in South El Paso.
The video is about 14 minutes long and includes an introduction by a police spokesperson, Officer Adrian Cisneros, discussing how police body cameras work and another spokesperson, Det. Judy Oviedo, providing details about the incident. The footage is from two body cameras worn by officers at the scene.
"The officers observed the individual had injuries to his face and was bleeding," Oviedo said in the video. "The officers attempted to make contact with the subject and called for fire medical services. The subject evaded from officers on foot East on Alameda.
After a foot pursuit and multiple requests for the man to stop, the man struggled with officers. Eddens was eventually downed with a taser, swarmed by officers who struggled to handcuff him.
The body camera footage was released as part of a "community brief" outreach effort by the police department to be transparent with the community and build trust with the public, El Paso Police Department spokesperson Robert Gomez said at a news conference Friday.
"These (community brief) are a long time in the making," Gomez said. "This started years ago with (former police) Chief (Greg) Allen, and we've been trying to develop a way of informing the public timely (and) accurately, and to give the public a snapshot or a view of what officers are doing out in the streets. It wasn't until we obtained body cam footage that we were able to tell a proper story and give the proper reference to the community. Hence, you're seeing the results of those efforts."
Gomez said the department will continue releasing the "community brief" on incidents involving police use of force to "give the community context, to be transparent and to have the community see firsthand what these incidents are all about."
'Take a seat or I am going to tase you'
The initial body camera video is from the first officer to arrive at the scene attempting to talk to Eddens. As soon as the officer gets out of his patrol vehicle, Eddens runs away from the officer.
The officer calls on his radio for emergency medical personnel. The officer said in the call that Eddens was bleeding from the face. It is hard to tell from the video if Eddens is bleeding at that moment.
Eddens is walking in the middle of the street when the officer asks him to come to him.
"Come here, sir," the officer, whose name was not released, states. "Come here. What happened to your face?"
The officer asks Eddens to stop walking so he can check on him. Eddens refuses to stop and continues walking away from police as he incoherently talks.
Another officer shouts, "We are going to do nothing. We want to see your face." The initial officer asks, "Why are you bleeding? Did something happen to you?"
Eddens continues to walk on the roadway. He appears to ask the officers, "are y'all going to shoot me?" The second officer response, "No, we aren't going to shoot you. Come here."
The officers repeatedly ask Eddens to stop and what happened to his face. Edens continues to walk backwards away from the officers as he enters the roadway and back onto the sidewalk.
Eventually, Eddens stops near a building and the officers are able to get within five to 10 feet of him.
They repeatedly ask him to stop and sit down. "Just have a sit right there. Have a seat. Do you want an ambulance to come check you out?"
Eddens says no he doesn't want an ambulance to check on him. The officer replies, "The ambulance is already coming." Eddens says "I'm good."
More: El Paso man who died in police custody after struggle on Alameda Avenue identified
"No sir. You are bleeding a lot," the officer says. It is still unclear from the video if Eddens is bleeding from the face.
Eddens then begins jogging away from the officers. The officers continue to follow him. The initial officer, sounding frustrated, tell Eddens, "Sir, come here."
Eddens continues to slowly jog away from the officers and appears to try to enter the roadway again when an officer arrives in a patrol unit and blocks the road.
Eddens appears to say "this is how I was born." The officer tells Eddens, "Take a seat or I am going to tase you." The officer pleads with Eddens, "Take a seat. Just take a seat."
Eddens says, "Why you doing this to a black man?" The officer replies, "We aren't. Just take a seat."
Another officer arrived and then parked his patrol vehicle to block Eddens from running away.
Officer claims Eddens said he would stab the officers
The video then switches to the third officer's body camera. The officer gets out of his vehicle and approaches Eddens.
Eddens appears to say, "If I stop y'all are going to kill me."
The third officer tells the initial officer, "Watch out. He said, 'If you get near me, I am going to stab you.'" It is unclear in the video if Eddens said that.
Eddens continues to walk away saying, "I have no gun." The officers continue to tell Eddens to have a seat.
"All right. All right," Eddens says as he takes a knee. However, he gets back up and jogs away from the officers.
The footage shows the third officer has his taser pulled out. "Have a seat. I am going to tase you, man," the third officer says.
The officers now are less than five feet away from Eddens who is yelling "Jesus." He tells the officers, "All right." He puts his hands up and takes a knee. He then moves his hands out toward the officer. Eddens is not holding anything in his hands.
The officer points the taser at the Eddens. Another officer then grabs Eddens and other officers join in. Eddens then begins to fight off the officers, including kicking the officers.
Eddens gets back on his feet but is tackled to the ground by officers. Eddens yells, "Jesus. Thank you Jesus" as the officers attempt to put handcuffs on him.
More: Man's death after arrest by El Paso police under investigation
He continues to kick and struggle with the officers. There are at least four officers seen in the video at this point. Eddens gets back on his feet and runs away from the officer. Officers discharge several tasers at Eddens. One of the shots hits Eddens on the side of his body.
Eddens falls to the ground and three officers attempt to handcuff him again. Eddens says, "Okay. I'll stop. I'm done." However, he continues to struggle with officers as they attempt to handcuff him.
The video shows Eddens with blood pouring down his face as he repeatedly yells, "Jesus!" He continues to struggle with officers. An officer tells him, "Turn the (expletive) around." Eddens is then tased again. "Jesus Christ won," Eddens yells.
An officer briefly puts his foot on the back of Eddens' neck. "Watch out. He is all full of blood," an officer tells the other officers. One officer pushes Eddens' face into the ground.
Officers appear to punch Eddens more than six times in the back and on the back of his neck. Eddens continues to struggle with the officers.
An officer appears to kick Eddens in the face before another officer blocks the officer from kicking him again. Blood marks are seen on the sidewalk, but it unclear if it is from the original injury Eddens had or another injury during the struggle with officers.
Officers are eventually able to put Eddens in handcuffs. Eddens is then heard apologizing. He continues to talk but it is inaudible. An ambulance and fire truck arrive at the scene.
Eddens tells officers, "I give up. I am sorry. Please. Please. Enough." The officers tell Eddens, "Relax. Relax. Calm down, sir. It's over, sir. It's over." Eddens continues to scream and yell "Jesus!" An officer tell Eddens, "We are going to help you, but you have to relax."
A medic asks Eddens, "What did you take? What did you take?" He then says Eddens' pupils are "blown." They asks Eddens what his name is. He replies, "Jonathan." They ask him for his last name and he replies, "Jesus Christ." Eddens continues talking but it is inaudible.
Eddens is picked up off the ground by officers and put in a stretcher. As Eddens is being strapped to the stretcher, he tells officers, "Jesus is real." An officer replies, "yes, he is." Eddens goes back to yelling, "Jesus!"
The body camera footage ends there.
Eddens was taken to a University Medical Center, where he later died. The cause of death has yet to be released.
What we know about the officers involved
The names of the officers involved in the incident have not been released. Police officials said eight officers from the police department's Central Regional Command responded to the incident.
Here is a list of officers involved in the incident and identified solely by their years of experience with the department:
An officer with the department for four year
Two officers with the department for two years
An officer with the department for eight years
An officer with the department for seven years
Two officer with the department for 11 months
An officer with the department for eight months
The incident is being investigated by the El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Person unit and the Texas Rangers, Oviedo said. An administrative investigation is being conducted by the El Paso Police Department's Internal Affairs Division.
"Conclusions about whether the officer's actions are consistent with the law and the department's policies will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete," Oviedo said.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police release arrest videos in death of man in police custody
