Eyewitness shares moments leading up to Brandon Zapata’s death at La Gran Plaza

Video footage and witness accounts suggest 20-year-old Brandon Zapata was in severe distress at La Gran Plaza before a struggle with security officers that ended in his death.

The April 11 incident at the south Fort Worth shopping center was captured on video from multiple angles, and a witness who said she saw what happened from the beginning spoke to the Star-Telegram.

Irma, who asked to be identified only by her first name, told the Star-Telegram in Spanish that Zapata came in yelling and saying he couldn’t breathe. He told a female security guard near the entrance that he needed help. Video shows she appeared to hand him a water bottle.

The security guard called someone on her radio and an off-duty Fort Worth police officer employed by La Gran Plaza responded. Once the officer arrived, Zapata didn’t seem to repeat anything about not being able to breathe, according to the witness.

“When the police arrived, he was just screaming like a demented person,” she said.

The police officer kept his distance at first and tried to get Zapata to calm down, the witness said. Irma thought Zapata might be having a seizure. He was trembling and jumping in the air, according to Irma, and she could see foam coming out of his mouth. Zapata also lowered his pants.

A male security guard employed by the mall came over to help. The video footage shows him standing a few feet away from Zapata and the police officer. Zapata was sitting on the ground by the carousel and the police officer had his hands on Zapata’s shoulders.

“The young man began to get out of control,” Irma said.

Zapata’s pants were around his ankles, Irma said, but it looked to her like he was trying to climb the fence around the nearby carousel. The police and security officers held him back.

Video footage shows Zapata struggling with the two police and security officers. A short time later he was sitting on the ground with the police officer standing behind him handcuffing one of his wrists. The security officer was standing to one side.

A short time later the security guard appears to handcuff Zapata’s other wrist, and another struggle ensued.

“The young man began to get out of control and the police had to try to keep him from leaving,” Irma said. “Because the way he was he could have hurt someone.”

According to Irma, Zapata was screaming and seemed to have a lot of strength. The security officer was knocked down twice during the struggle, hitting his head both times, according to Irma. Zapata also fell down at one point.

Irma said the police officer was on the ground with Zapata and trying to get him under control when an unknown passerby approached. According to Irma, the passerby came up behind Zapata and threw him face down on the ground. Then he got on top of Zapata to hold him down as the officers worked to cuff his hands together.

“The police (officer) quickly puts his leg on him also (and) puts the handcuffs on him,” she said.

Irma said the security guard was standing off to the side while Zapata was lying face-down and being handcuffed above his head. At that point, the security guard didn’t get involved anymore, she said. She took that to mean he had been affected by the falls.

Once Zapata was handcuffed, the passerby got up and left, Irma said. On-duty Fort Worth police officers were arriving at that time and recuffed Zapata’s hands behind his back, the video shows. A police officer tried to get Zapata up then, but Irma said his head was drooping and he wasn’t responding.

According to Irma, the police officer immediately took the handcuffs off and administered CPR. The on-duty Fort Worth police officers who had just arrived and later firefighters and medics continued to try CPR and other life-saving measures like electric shock, but to no avail. Police said they also gave Narcan to Zapata because they feared he might be under the influence of a narcotic.

Results of an autopsy and toxicology tests are pending to determine Zapata’s cause of death. His family told the Star-Telegram that he suffered from asthma and might have been having an asthma attack. Family members who watched videos of the incident also said that they believe the police and security officers working at the mall used excessive force.

Irma said she saw the entire incident, and based on what she saw, she believes the officers involved acted appropriately.

“The didn’t attack him — they didn’t mistreat him,” she said. “The police (officer) tried to control him — he was doing his job.”

A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department told the Star-Telegram that their officers are required to follow department protocols when working off-duty.

The police spokesperson declined to say whether or not the department has a standard about an officer putting their knee on someone’s back while trying to subdue them.

“Due to this being an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment any further,” he said.

The police department’s Major Case Unit is investigating the incident and will turn the results over to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office to present to a grand jury, which is standard procedure with an in-custody death, police said.