Update:
At approximately 1:28 a.m., Dallas Police Officer Fernando Gonzalez witnessed a driver hit a vehicle in the area of 9500 block of CF Hawn Freeway service road eastbound, and drive away from the crash.
The preliminary investigation determined Officer Gonzalez crossed St. Augustine Drive and stopped the driver in the of 9500 block of CF Hawn Frwy service road westbound at 1:29 a.m.
Officers Darrien Robertson, Lihn Cam and Bryan Crenshaw arrived at the scene to assist Officer Gonzalez.
The driver, 70-year-old Roy Whittaker, was taken into custody without incident for misdemeanor warrants out of the City of Dallas.
At around 1:49 am, while officers were searching Whittaker, he became sick and asked officers for help.
Officers immediately requested Dallas Fire Rescue, and the on-scene supervisor told the officers to remove the handcuffs from Whittaker.
At 1:55 a.m., DFR arrived on scene.
At 1:59 a.m., Whittaker was placed on the stretcher and into an ambulance.
In the ambulance, DFR started CPR and requested a DFR engine to respond.
DFR took Whittaker to a local hospital at 2:17 am, arriving at 2:27 am.
Whittaker died at the hospital at 2:42 am.
The driver of the car hit in the initial crash drove away from the scene and did not return to make a report.
The Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit is conducting a death in custody investigation.
The Dallas Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on June 29. Autopsy and toxicology results are pending.
The Office of Police Community Oversight and Dallas County District Attorney’s Office were both notified.
IN AN EFFORT TO BE TRANSPARENT, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS RELEASING THE BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE INCIDENT.
The critical incident video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/RHEOdb_u0QM
Original Post
The Dallas Police Department is investigating a death in custody that occurred on June 28, 2023.
At approximately 1:28 a.m., a Dallas Police witnessed a driver hit another vehicle in the area of 9500 block of CF Hawn Frwy service Road EB, and drive away from the crash.
The preliminary investigation determined the officers crossed St. Augustine Drive and stopped the driver in the of 9500 block of CF Hawn Frwy service Road WB at 1:29 a.m.
The driver, 70-year-old Roy Whittaker, was taken into custody without incident for misdemeanor warrants out of the City of Dallas.
At around 1:49 am, during the search of Whittaker, he became sick and asked officers for help.
Officers immediately requested Dallas Fire Rescue, and the on-scene supervisor told the officers to remove the handcuffs.
At 1:55 a.m., DFR arrived on scene.
At 1:59 a.m., Whittaker was placed on the stretcher and into an ambulance.
In the ambulance, DFR started CPR and requested a DFR engine to respond.
DFR took Whittaker to a local hospital at 2:17 am, arriving at 2:27 am.
Whittaker died at the hospital at 2:42 am.
The driver of the car hit in the initial crash drove away from the scene, and did not return to make a report.
The Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit is investigating.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and Office of Community Police Oversight were also notified.
The investigation is ongoing and is documented under case number 117244-2023.