Killing of Tony Timpa

Killing of Tony Timpa
Frame from police body cam showing Timpa being held to the ground
Location	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Date	August 10, 2016; 5 years ago (2016-08-10)
Attack type	Homicide, police killing

The killing of Tony Timpa took place in Dallas, Texas on August 10, 2016.

Background[]

Timpa was a 32-year-old White American trucking company executive from Rockwall, Texas.^[1] He had called 9-1-1 for aid, telling the dispatcher that he had schizophrenia and depression but had not taken his prescription medication.

Incident[]

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. 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.^[2]

Legal proceedings[]

It took over three years for footage of the incident to be released. The footage contradicted claims by Dallas Police that Timpa was aggressive.^[3][4] The officers involved were Sgt. Kevin Mansell and Officers Danny Vasquez and Dustin Dillard.^[5] Criminal charges against three officers were dropped in March 2019 and they returned to active duty.^[6] 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.^[7] As of May 2021, this case is under appeal.^[8]

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 have won the right to go to trial in their case against Dillard.^[9][10]

Reactions[]

Timpa's death came to prominence in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, who was killed in a similar way.^[11] 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, noted 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."^[8]

References[]