The Dallas Police Department said Wednesday it is investigating the death of a man who police say suffered a medical emergency shortly after he was taken into custody earlier this week following an alleged theft at a discount store.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office will also work to determine a cause of death for 55-year-old Willie Rose, who led police on a brief foot chase before he was ultimately apprehended, police said in a video posted on X.
Police said they will not release bodycam video of the incident that began Monday around 8:29 p.m. when Mesquite police were dispatched to a reported theft at a Family Dollar Store at 3200 Military Parkway, according to a statement from Dallas Deputy Chief William Griffith.
Police located the man’s car, a purple Crown Victoria, at a different Family Dollar about a mile away in the 9500 block of Scyene Road in Dallas, he said.
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Police did not immediately release information about what was reported stolen.
Officers followed the car to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of North St. Augustine Drive, according to police. At around 8:36 p.m., Mesquite officers conducted a felony traffic stop at the closed entrance gate of the apartment complex, Griffith said.
Police said Rose got out of the car and initially followed orders from police by laying on the ground. At around 8:38 p.m. after he had been detained, Rose ran into the apartment complex, Griffith said.
A Mesquite officer followed him on foot and they had a brief “physical confrontation” as officers tried to take him into custody, police said. Shortly after police handcuffed him, they saw Rose was experiencing a medical emergency. At around 8:41 p.m., officers removed the handcuffs and tried to save his life, including performing CPR, Griffith said.
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Dallas Fire Rescue arrived at around 8:46 p.m. and transported him to Baylor University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m., according to police.
Officials did not immediately give details on the medical emergency and police will not release the video of the incident in accordance with “applicable law and investigative considerations,” Griffith said. He did not cite which laws or considerations.
The Dallas Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit is conducting an investigation into the death and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office was notified about the incident and responded to the scene, according to police.
Griffith said police released information about the incident within 72 hours, in accordance with the department’s policy. The investigation is ongoing, he said, and police will provide additional details when they become available.