El Paso police bodycam shows a struggle quickly intensifying, ending in the death of a man on I-10
By: El Paso, TX - El Paso Police have released body camera footage from an incident earlier this summer where a man along the side of Interstate 10 had a stun gun used on him by police and later died at the hospital.
Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez, 30, died in the incident on July 13.
Police initially responded to reports of a pedestrian on the roadway along Interstate 10 and Yarbrough. Police say the man, later identified as Hernandez, became combative and uncooperative.
A stun gun was deployed, but it was ineffective, police said at the time. Another officer and witness helped to subdue Hernandez, who became unresponsive.
CPR was performed, and Hernandez was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
In the video, you can hear Hernandez yell when officers approach that he wants someone to call 911. He also asks repeatedly for the officer’s badge number.
At one point, an officer yells at him in response: “Get the f–k down” and says he is going to use a stun gun on him.
A stun gun appears to be deployed by police multiple times with no apparent effect. A struggle then ensues.
One of the officers is seen and heard repeatedly yelling and swearing at Hernandez during the video.
Later in the video, two men are seen holding Hernandez down to the ground while an officer is trying to place handcuffs on Hernandez.
Someone also says at this time: “I’m going to break your f—ing neck, a–hole.” It is unclear who said that.
Hernandez can be heard breathing heavily as EMS approach, and they ask him what happened and if he had taken any drugs.
Someone can be heard saying, “If you bite me, I’m going to beat the f–k out of you.” It is unclear who said that.
About 10 minutes into the video, an officer says Hernandez is not breathing, they turn him over and then chest compressions are seen being given by two officers.
According to an autopsy report obtained by KTSM, Hernandez’s death was ruled a homicide.
As KTSM previously reported, Hernandez’s cause of death was asphyxia due to chest compression while being subdued and restrained by law enforcement.
The autopsy also revealed multiple abrasions, contusions, and puncture marks on his body.
Toxicology revealed benzoylecgonine, cocaine, and ecgonine methyl ester was in Hernandez’s system.
Benzoylecgonine is an inactive metabolite and chemical breakdown product of cocaine. Ecgonine methyl ester is also formed by cocaine, according to the report.
During a new conference to address the autopsy report, police said the term “homicide” is used as a medical term in an autopsy report to describe the death caused by another person and said the term is not a legal finding and does not imply criminal intent.