Dallas police pinned down and mocked a man, bodycam footage shows. Minutes later, he was dead
Body camera footage released Tuesday after a years-long legal battle shows Dallas police pinning down a man before he loses consciousness and dies.
Video captured in August 2016 shows the arrest of Tony Timpa, 32, who repeatedly pleaded for help while being pinned to the ground for more than 13 minutes. A federal judge ordered the release of the video following requests from The Dallas Morning News and and NBC-DFW.
Timpa called 911 from the parking lot of a Dallas porn store, according to the Morning News. He told the dispatcher he suffered from schizophrenia and depression, was off his prescription medication and was afraid and needed help.
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Officers described Timpa as aggressive and combative in police reports. The video shows him writhing on the ground. He can be heard asking for help and repeatedly shouting, "You're going to kill me!"
Police officers can be heard mocking him as he struggled, with one comparing him to a "roly-poly." As he becomes quiet and unresponsive, an officer says he's "out cold" and others joke that he's fallen asleep.
"It's time for school, wake up!" one person says.
"I don't want to go to school! Five more minutes, mom!" another chimes in.
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Paramedics then give him a sedative and his body is transferred onto a gurney and into an ambulance.
“I hope I didn’t kill him,” one officer says, as others continue to laugh.
Paramedics then notify officers that Timpa is not breathing.
Timpa died as a result of "sudden cardiac death due to the toxic effects of cocaine and physiologic stress associated with physical restraint," according to an autopsy report. His death was ruled a homicide.
In 2017, a grand jury indicted Sgt. Kevin Mansell and Officers Danny Vasquez and Dustin Dillard for misdemeanor deadly conduct in Timpa’s death, concluding that they "engaged in reckless conduct that placed Mr. Timpa in imminent danger of serious bodily injury."
The charges were dismissed in March after Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said he met with three medical examiners, including one hired by Timpa's family. According to Creuzot, they said they don’t believe the officers acted recklessly and would not “testify to the elements of the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt."
Internal affairs records obtained by the Morning News showed the officers were disciplined, but they returned to active duty the next month.
Timpa’s family is suing the city of Dallas and the officers involved claiming excessive force was used.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Timpa: Bodycam footage shows Dallas cops mocking man before death
