South Jersey Man Dies In Police Custody; Witnesses Say Mauled By Police Dog

The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the death of a 32-year-old man who died while in police custody Tuesday night after witnesses say he was mauled by a police dog and punched, stomped and kicked by officers.

A witness told NBC 10 that police were aggressive with White and “let the dog out of the car.” They say the dog then bit White on his face and body while he was already handcuffed.

Vineland police officers encountered Phillip White, the man who died, while responding to a report of a disorderly person around the 100 block of Grape Street on Tuesday, just before 11 p.m.

According to CBS 3, recorded scanner traffic indicated the man had tried to grab one of the officers’ guns.

Shortly after the incident, officers reported White was in respiratory distress and they called for medical help. He had been handcuffed and restrained during the incident, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCrae.

White was taken to the hospital in an emergency vehicle with a police officer present. At some point while he was being transported, White became unresponsive, and medical personnel initiated CPR, the prosecutor said.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Vineland Police Chief Timothy P. Codispoti said his department is cooperating with the prosecutor’s office in the investigation.

He told The Daily Journal that the officers are on administrative leave.

Photo: @ShaunKing Twitter