Dallas officers: Jokes during deadly arrest were ‘strategy’
Posted Aug 2, 2019 04:10:41 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DALLAS — Two Dallas police officers involved in the arrest of a 911 caller who died in custody told commanders they mocked the handcuffed man as part of a “strategy” to get him to respond.
Body camera video shows officers pinning 32-year-old Tony Timpa to the ground on Aug. 10, 2016. They crack jokes as he screams, then goes limp and silent.
At a recorded disciplinary hearing, the officers acknowledged mocking Timpa and said it was the wrong approach. They do not identify themselves.
A lawyer for Timpa’s family provided the audio to The Associated Press after obtaining it as part of a federal lawsuit against the officers and city of Dallas.
Three officers were indicted in Timpa’s death, but prosecutors dismissed the charges and they have returned to active duty.
The Associated Press