Critical Incident Briefing: August 18, 2020 Siesta Lane Death Investigation In Phoenix

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

September 1, 2020

PM The Phoenix Police Department released a Critical Incident Briefing video from a case where a man receiving assistance from a school resource officer passed away on the afternoon of August 18, 2020 near 28th Street and Siesta Lane.

Since the officers involved in this incident are assigned as school resource officers, and do not have body worn cameras due to the sensitive nature of their work in schools with minor children. The attached video does not have body worn camera video and no video captured of the event.

An elementary school employee observed a man, later identified as 42-year-old Darimiah Hand, wandering around the school parking lot and walking into parked cars. No kids were on campus, but the school was occupied by staff and the school resource officer. When the school employee asked Hand to leave, the man did not respond, or even acknowledge the employee.

The employee went inside the school and asked for assistance from the school resource officer, who then attempted to contact Hand. The officer asked Hand to leave the property, however, she said he appeared to have an altered or impaired mental state, failing to even notice her. Hand wandered off the school property and into the roadway twice without looking, nearly being struck by vehicles.

The officer was able to catch up with Hand and guide him out of the roadway and into a front yard of a residential home. He then walked into several objects, falling more than once. Concerned for the wellbeing of the man, the officer pulled him to a sitting position to keep him safe until the Phoenix Fire Department could respond to evaluate him.

While Hand was not under arrest, the officer placed handcuffs on him to prevent him from standing up and falling again. While waiting for Fire Personnel, Hand began to lose consciousness. A second school resource officer arrived, and the officers moved the handcuffs to the front of the man's body, positioning him on his side.

The Phoenix Fire Department arrived, and preliminary information was that Hand had a lethal core body temperature of 108 degrees.

A normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. Hand was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Medical Examiner.

The two officers involved in this Critical Incident are assigned to the Black Mountain Precinct as school resource officers. The first officer to respond has 4 years of service and the other officer has 16 years of service with the Phoenix Police Department.

An internal investigation by the Professional Standards Bureau into this incident is currently underway. Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete.

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.