El 10 de agosto de 2016, Anthony "Tony" Allen Timpa, un hombre blanco desarmado de 32 años, fue asesinado en Dallas , Texas , por un oficial de policía Dustin Dillard. Los agentes habían respondido a una llamada de Timpa solicitando ayuda por un colapso mental debido a que no había tomado sus medicamentos recetados para la esquizofrenia y la depresión . Dillard empujó su peso corporal sobre Timpa en el suelo durante unos 14 minutos después de que ya estaba inmovilizado, y los oficiales ignoraron las súplicas de Timpa de que tenía dolor y temía que iba a morir. La muerte de Timpa fue declarada homicidio debido al "estrés de estar inmovilizado y al esfuerzo físico extremo" y los efectos tóxicos del consumo previo de cocaína . [1]
No se han presentado cargos penales, pero en 2021, un juez dictaminó que una demanda por muerte por negligencia presentada por la familia de Timpa tenía mérito y podía ir a juicio. El juicio civil concluyó en septiembre de 2023 y el jurado otorgó al hijo de Timpa 1 millón de dólares. [2]
Timpa era una ejecutiva de una empresa de camiones estadounidense de 32 años de Rockwall, Texas . [3] Había llamado al 9-1-1 para pedir ayuda y le había dicho al operador que tenía esquizofrenia y depresión, pero que no había tomado sus medicamentos recetados .
Timpa had already been handcuffed by a security guard when a group of officers arrived. They restrained him on the ground while he squirmed, repeatedly crying out, "You're gonna kill me!" After he fell unconscious, the officers assumed he was asleep and, rather than confirm that he was breathing or feel for a pulse, joked about waking him up for school and making him breakfast.[4] They kept him prone on grass for nearly 14 minutes and zip-tied his legs together, one pressing his knee into Timpa's back. One of the paramedics called to the scene administered the sedative Versed. The responders began to panic only as they loaded Timpa's body onto a gurney, one exclaiming, "He didn’t just die down there, did he?" Timpa died within 20 minutes of police officers' arrival, of "cocaine and the stress associated with physical restraint", according to his autopsy.[5]
It took over three years for footage of the incident to be released. The footage contradicted claims by Dallas Police that Timpa was aggressive.[6][7] The officers involved were Sgt. Kevin Mansell and Officers Danny Vasquez and Dustin Dillard.[8] Criminal charges against three officers were dropped in March 2019 and they returned to active duty.[9] An excessive force civil lawsuit against the officers was dismissed by U. S. District Judge David C. Godbey in July 2020 on the basis of qualified immunity.[10][11]
On December 15, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision reversing the trial court decision giving the officers qualified immunity, which means the Timpa family won the right to go to trial in their case against Dillard.[12][13]
In September 2023, a jury found three officers liable for Timpa's wrongful death, awarding Timpa's son $1 million.[2] Two jurors later said they regretted not giving Timpa's family more in damages.[14]
Timpa's death came to prominence in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, who died in a similar way.[15] When Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd, a number of commentators drew comparisons between Floyd and Timpa. Ryan Mills, writing in the National Review, claimed that "There was no national uproar after Timpa's death. No national cries for justice and reform. The city of Dallas paid no settlement to Timpa's family." Mills also said "there was more community pressure" in the Floyd case.[11]