FORT WORTH, Texas — The family of 20-year-old Brandon Zapata walked into Fort Worth Police Department Headquarters (FWPD) to get answers about his death.
They, along with community activist Carlos Quintanilla, want to know why Zapata did not survive after being detained at a popular Fort Worth shopping mall.
His mother, Gloria Ortiz, fought back tears several times during a news conference outside the front doors at FWPD prior to going inside.
"We want justice for Brandon," Ortiz said. "There were witnesses saying that him in need of help. They tried to offer water, and it was pushed away from the offer from the officers. They heard him scream and watch his body go lifeless."
"You can see in the video, 18 minutes where he has his knee on Brandon. And then 22 minutes later, when the Fort Worth Police Department arrives, Brandon's dead," said Quintanilla.
Zapata visited La Gran Plaza last Tuesday, April 11, in the afternoon.
Police said the Zapata was "acting erratically."
The mall has its own security officers and even hires police officers to work while off-duty. When mall security officers tried to detain him, Zapata was accused of assaulting one of the officers. Police said an off-duty officer tried to step in to help.
On-duty Fort Worth police officers were called in to assist with arresting Zapata. But while in handcuffs, police said Zapata began to show signs of distress.
His cousin, Reuben Garcia, believes Zapata may have gotten sick.
Garcia said, "Brandon had asthma. So we do know he was asthmatic. So, I mean, outside of that, he had no medical history."
WFAA obtained video showing additional Fort Worth officers who responded to the mall after Zapata became unresponsive while in handcuffs.
Police said officers administered CPR and Narcan as they thought he may have been under the influence.
Zapata was transported to a hospital, where he died.
FWPD spokesperson Tracy Carter arranged for Zapata's mother, Quintanilla and Garcia to meet with the assistant police chief and lead investigators on the case. During that meeting, police showed them videos they've obtained from the incident.
"Now we're going to wait for the toxicology report to come back, because we don't... we don't want to paint a false narrative," said Garcia.
As FWPD continues to investigate, Zapata's mother has arranged an independent autopsy to learn his exact cause of death.
"Brandon is a somebody. He's a son, a brother, a grandson, nephew and a cousin. He has a heart of gold and filled with a lot of love," said Ortiz.
Zapata's family started a GoFundMe account to help pay for his funeral. If you would like to read more and donate, click here.
WFAA reached out to the management staff at La Gran Plaza Mall for comment, but have not received a response concerning Zapata's case.
Police said the case will be turned over to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office and a grand jury for review.
In October 2023, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Zapata's death a homicide. According to the examiner records, 20-year-old Brandon Zapata's cause of death was "acute asthma exacerbation complicated by mechanical asphyxia and methamphetamine."
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