California officials on Wednesday released surveillance and body cam footage of a man who ended up dying after he struggled with police officers trying to bring him under arrest.
Fermin Vincent Valenzuela, 32, went into cardiac arrest three times and died after Anaheim police used a stun gun to subdue him on July 2, 2016.
He was placed in a medically induced coma and died from complications of asphyxia, The Orange County Register reported.
In September, Orange County officials announced that after a review, the officers involved in the incident, Woojin Jun and Daniel Wolfe, were justified in their use of force, according to the Register.
The footage from July 2, 2016 in Anaheim shows two officers, Woojin Jun (left) and Daniel Wolfe (right), enter a local laundromat after receiving a report of a man suspiciously stalking a woman
Inside the laundromat, they confronted Fermin Vincent Valenzuela, 32
When officers tried to place Valenzuela into custody, he used ‘unusual strength’ and resisted arrest
Valenzuela refused to surrender and managed to pull away from the officers in the laundromat and run across the street
The officers then chased Valenzuela down in a nearby parking lot and tried to subdue him once again
The officers used batons and a taser, but Valenzuela continued to resist arrest
When they chased him down, Jun tried to restrain Valenzuela while Wolfe used a maneuver known as the ‘carotid artery’ technique
Wolfe wanted to apply pressure on both carotid arteries so that the blood flow to Valenzuela’s brain would be cut off, resulting in a temporary loss of consciousness
In the video, Valenzuela appears to lose consciousness. The officers then try to revive him, but he is unresponsive
As Valenzuela was rushed to the hospital, he suffered three heart attacks
He was placed on life support until July 10, when doctors removed him from the machines
On July 2, Anaheim, California, police responded to a call about a suspicious man who followed a woman to her home.
Officers found Valenzuela and when they approached him he used ‘physical force to push’ the offices back, according to Sgt. Daron Wyatt.
A stun gun was deployed, which caused the cardiac episode.
In the 11-minute video released this week, the officers are seen confronting Valenzuela in a local laundromat.
When they tried to take him into custody, Valenzuela resisted, prompting the officers to wrestle him to the ground.
The officers claimed that they had no choice but to use force because of Valenzuela’s ‘unusual strength.’
Valenzuela (pictured, right) died on July 10, 2016 after his family took him off life support
When the officers used batons and tasers, Valenzuela still refused to surrender, they said.
Valenzuela manages to break away from the officers and runs across the street.
Officers said that they had reason to fear for the public’s safety.
When they chased him down, Jun tried to restrain Valenzuela while Wolfe used a maneuver known as the ‘carotid artery’ technique.
The carotid artery is an artery located on each side of the neck. Wolfe wanted to apply pressure on both carotid arteries so that the blood flow to Valenzuela’s brain would be cut off, resulting in a temporary loss of consciousness.
In the video, Valenzuela appears to lose consciousness. The officers then try to revive him, but he is unresponsive.
As Valenzuela was rushed to the hospital, he suffered three heart attacks.
He was placed on life support until July 10, when doctors removed him from the machines.
A corner’s report listed the official cause of death as complications of asphyxia while under the influence of methamphetamine.
‘While any loss of life is a tragedy,’ Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada said in a statement, ‘the death of Mr. Valenzuela while in our custody is particularly impactful and I express my sincere condolences to the family.’
A corner’s report listed the official cause of death as complications of asphyxia while under the influence of methamphetamine
Valenzuela’s family says that Valenzuela posed no threat to the officers, and that they used excessive force. The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Anaheim in federal court
Valenzuela was diagnosed as bi-polar and spent years going on and off his medication.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters on Wednesday that the carotid artery technique is a standard procedure approved by the Anaheim Police Department in cases where a suspect is resisting arrest.
Rackauckas said the officers applied the technique in this case properly and that there was no evidence they were ill-equipped or poorly trained.
Valenzuela’s family says that Valenzuela posed no threat to the officers, and that they used excessive force.
The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Anaheim in federal court.