TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Police Department (TPD)’s body camera footage shows the moments before a man suspected of armed robbery died in police custody. TPD released the footage after FOX23 filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for it in September.
TPD said the suspect, Ramond Thompson, led them on a chase and either fell or jumped off a 30-foot ledge during the pursuit. Police said they took Thompson into custody, but he died at the hospital due to a collapsed lung from the fall.
In the bodycam video, police officers are seen searching through a thick, wooded area for Thompson. Officers deployed their K9 unit, and the dog finds and bites Thompson in his shoulder/torso area. The dog keeps ahold of Thompson for around 35 seconds while officers put him in handcuffs. TPD Capt. Richard Meulenberg said this is in line with police policy.
“The dog’s job is to latch on and be a distractor until the suspect is secure,” Meulenberg said. “Secure is going to be handcuffed, or no longer a threat. And, for us, if someone has a weapon, that is when the suspect is handcuffed and searched.”
The video then shows the dog let go of Thompson, and he remained on the ground a short time while TPD officers call for EMSA. One officer noticed how much Thompson was bleeding. The officer said in the video: “Have them bring EMSA to you guys. He’s bleeding pretty good.”
Police start to lead him out of the wooded area. The footage showed Thompson covered in blood as he walked.
It takes officers about nine minutes to lead Thompson out of the woods, according to timestamps on the footage. The video showed Thompson fall multiple times. He can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe,” and “I’m dying,” in the video.
Officers wait for EMSA to arrive in the clearing, and it took around 21 minutes for paramedics to respond, according to the video’s timestamp.
While in the clearing, officers are seen in the footage offering Thompson water and telling him to breath while he struggles to stand.
He is heard again saying, “I’m dying,” and “I can’t breathe.”
EMSA arrived and took Thompson to the hospital, where he later died.
“Turns out, he went to the hospital, and he died from the injuries from jumping,” Meulenberg said. “Later, we learned from the Medical Examiner’s report that he had collapsed lungs that were a result of the fall he took.”
Meulenberg continued, “It’s unfortunate that anybody loses their life.”
FOX23 asked the Medical Examiner for the full report on Thompson.
“It will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available,” the Medical Examiner’s Office said. “We are currently estimating a 4-6 months for case completion.”
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