New Footage Released of Arrest

Scripps News has obtained police body camera footage detailing the events surrounding the January arrest of 19-year-old Royer Perez-Jimenez. The teenager, an immigrant who was later held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, died under circumstances that remain under investigation.

The video shows an officer attempting to stop Perez-Jimenez while he was riding a scooter on a Florida road. Despite repeated commands to stop, the teenager continued riding until another officer caught up and tackled him to the ground.

Language Barriers and Initial Charges

During the arrest, Perez-Jimenez informed officers that he did not speak English. Officers struggled to communicate with him, with one noting that the teenager spoke Tzotzil, a language with no direct English equivalent.

Police stated they initially stopped Perez-Jimenez for a pedestrian violation after he exited a liquor store. Although officers claimed he smelled of marijuana, a search of his belongings yielded no suspicious or stolen items. One officer noted that Perez-Jimenez possessed items that appeared religious, describing him as a 'holy man.'

Using a translator, officers questioned why he fled. Perez-Jimenez explained that he was afraid the officers would beat him. He was ultimately charged with two misdemeanors: resisting an officer without violence and providing false identification.

Custody and Subsequent Death

Following the arrest, police notified ICE, who determined that Perez-Jimenez was living in the U.S. illegally. He was subsequently transferred to the Glades County Detention Center, which is operated by the local sheriff's office.

On March 16, ICE reported that an officer found Perez-Jimenez unconscious and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead shortly after being discovered. While ICE has characterized the death as a 'presumed suicide,' they have not provided evidence to support this claim. The official cause of death remains under investigation, and authorities have denied requests for an autopsy report citing the ongoing nature of the case.