Man dies in Phoenix Police custody following reports of attempted home burglary; body-camera video released
PHOENIX - A man died while being taken into custody by officers with the Phoenix Police Department on Sept. 3 after he was accused of attempting to burglarize a home.
At around 2:30 p.m., officers responded to reports of an attempted home burglary near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street.
"An adult male opened the front door of a home and was told to leave by the homeowner. The male left and walked to other homes trying to open the doors. While the male was walking near the homes, he was falling over, hitting his head on the doors, and acting erratic," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Melissa Soliz.
When officers arrived in the area, they found the man who matched the description they were given. They worked to detain him and "were met with resistance."
He was "placed on the ground" and handcuffed.
"Officers put the male on his side and called the fire department to evaluate him based on his actions. The male was responsive while the fire department responded to the scene," Soliz said.
As firefighters began to check him out, he reportedly became unresponsive. Officers took the handcuffs off of him and crews worked to revive him, but he later died at the hospital.
"The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Office of the Medical Examiner," Soliz said.
He was identified as 36-year-old Enrique Cantu III.
The officers involved in the incident were not identified, but police said they are from the South Mountain Precinct and have 3.5 years of service with the department.
On Sept. 16, Phoenix Police released body-camera video showing the incident.
Police said an internal and criminal investigation of the incident is underway and will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
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