ARIZONA NEWS
Investigation begins after man dies in custody of Phoenix police
Apr 11, 2023, 10:15 AM | Updated: Apr 14, 2023, 2:16 pm
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
PHOENIX – An investigation is underway in Phoenix after a man died while in police custody Monday, authorities said.
The Phoenix Police Department said in a press release that “the actions of the officers will be the subject of an internal and criminal investigation.”
Police said officers were called to an area near 65th Avenue and Buckeye Road around 11:30 a.m. about a possible theft and a man who was behaving erratically.
Witnesses told police the man had walked into an open garage and grabbed property before he threw himself to the ground.
He got up, left the house and walked toward another home. A police sergeant arrived and found a man matching the description. The man was lying down in a front yard.
Police said the officer took a metal object out of the man’s hand and placed him in handcuffs in front.
Phoenix Fire Department medical personnel reached the scene to evaluate the man, police said, and the handcuffs were removed from him.
He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified later as 29-year-old Zacharie Irambona.
The medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death, police said.
No other details were made available.
