Highlights
- Jesse Fred, 42, died after Phoenix officers responded to a vandalism call July 28 and found him unresponsive in a bush near 27th Avenue and Campbell Avenue.
- Body camera video released Tuesday shows officers moving Fred to the shade of a police SUV and requesting medical help before firefighters arrived.
- Paramedics found Fred's body temperature at 107 degrees and began ice-water treatment; he was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
- No charges have been filed against officers; an internal investigation into their actions is underway.
Phoenix Police released edited body camera footage Tuesday showing officers' response to Jesse Fred, 42, who died following a heat emergency after being detained on a vandalism call July 28 near 27th Avenue and Campbell Avenue, south of Camelback Road.
Officers arrived just before 4 p.m. after a woman called 911 to report that Fred had broken a window at an apartment complex. The caller told a dispatcher that Fred was acting erratically. Officers found Fred sluggish, bleeding from his face, and hiding in a bush near the front gate. He did not respond to questions or commands.
The footage, released as part of a critical incident briefing, the format Phoenix PD reserves for serious events including officer-involved shootings, shows additional officers arriving and then attempting to move Fred roughly two minutes and 20 seconds into the encounter. One officer told colleagues that Fred appeared to be losing consciousness. Officers grabbed his legs and upper body, moved him out of the bushes, and positioned him in the shade of a marked police SUV, taking care that the pavement did not injure him.
Firefighters arrived about three minutes after officers moved Fred. Paramedics found his body temperature at 107 degrees and immediately began an ice-water treatment, placing him in a plastic bag filled with ice. Fred was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Phoenix PD said no charges have been filed against the officers and that an internal investigation into their actions is underway. 13ABC and crimeandinjurylaw.com both reported on Fred's death in the days following the incident.
The July 28 incident occurred on the same day a separate Phoenix man died following a family fight after being placed in handcuffs. Police said that case was not classified as a critical incident but also released redacted body camera footage of officers' response.
What happens next in the investigation?
Phoenix PD's internal investigation into the officers' actions remains open. No charges have been filed, and the department has not announced a timeline for completing the review.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 12/08/2026 00:15
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 12/08/2026 00:15. Every claim traces to a source.
