Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, have released bodycam footage depicting the moments leading up to a man’s death in police custody last month.
Police said Temiki Murray, 44, of Lorton, appeared to be under the influence of drugs when he ran into traffic on Amherst Avenue in Springfield, Virginia, in November.
Responding officers tried to guide Murray to the sidewalk, but he ran back into traffic and eventually through a car dealership parking lot toward a FedEx delivery vehicle. In the video, an officer steps aside and lets a FedEx driver help calm Murray down and attempt to de-escalate the situation.
FedEx driver Douglas Kennebo and officers convinced Murray to sit down on the pavement.
“He looks like he’s in pain. He’s acting erratic and he’s on the pavement right now gasping for air,” one of the officers says in the video.
Footage shows Murray was then handcuffed. In the video, the officer says the man is not in trouble but he doesn’t want Murray to run away.
Police said Murray suffered a medical emergency while being taken to the hospital in an ambulance and later died.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy report to determine the cause and manner of death.
In a news conference on Thursday, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said he is still awaiting the autopsy and toxicology results, but that Murray had an enlarged heart.
Davis said the video shows the officers displaying patience and de-escalation as they handled the situation.
“These police officers did the very best they could to try save his life in a very chaotic situation, and I think they did a great job,” Davis said.
Davis said the department released the bodycam footage because the department wanted to stay transparent and consistent with the spirit of a policy governing the release of bodycam footage involving in-custody deaths.
The department plans to recognize the FedEx driver at a later time.
