Man dies after being detained by Phoenix police; body temperature reached 107 degrees

PHOENIX (AZFamily/Gray News) — Investigators have released the name of a man who died Tuesday afternoon after being detained by Phoenix police for allegedly breaking an apartment window.

He’s been identified as 42-year-old Jesse Fred.

Police said officers were called to an apartment complex near 27th and Campbell avenues around 3:50 p.m. after a caller reported a man had broken a window and was acting erratically. Shortly after getting to the complex, officers found a man matching the caller’s description and handcuffed him.

Because the man had hurt himself and was incoherent, police called firefighters to check on him. Paramedics found Fred’s body temperature had reached 107 degrees and he was in severe distress. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.

The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner will work to determine Fred’s cause of death.

Police plan to release body camera footage and more details about the incident within two weeks.

This incident marks the second time in one day that someone died after being restrained in Phoenix. Also on Tuesday, a man died after he was found restrained following a family fight in southeast Phoenix.

Police were called to that home at about 4 a.m. Tuesday after an argument got physical between two men and a woman.

When officers arrived, they handcuffed Bill Blancas, 36, who was being restrained by another man and a woman, the department said.

Officers noticed Blancas was unresponsive and called the Phoenix Fire Department, which took him to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Phoenix police said a critical incident briefing on Blancas’ death will also be released within 14 days.