Man dies during incident with Phoenix police

PHOENIX - Police are investigating the death of a man after he was taken into custody by officers Friday morning.

Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said an officer contacted two men in a vehicle parked in a handicapped space at a QuikTrip store at 27th and Northern avenues just before 2:30 a.m.

The officer asked the driver, 42-year-old Eddie Roy Eugene Windle, for his driver's license. Windle told the officer he didn't have it but had other papers for the vehicle. He got out of the vehicle, got the papers out of the glove box and gave them to the officer.

Two more officers drove up in a patrol car and Windle suddenly ran away, through the parking lot, across the street then south on 27th Avenue into an alley, Thompson said.

Officers caught up with Windle and a struggle took place as they tried to take him into custody. At one point an officer discovered Windle was wearing a gun holster, Thompson said.

The struggle continued on the ground and Windle refused to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. Eventually he was handcuffed by both officers.

Thompson said during the struggle Windle said he was having difficulty breathing and after he was handcuffed it was discovered he was not breathing.

The handcuffs were removed and one officer began CPR.

Windle was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

During the investigation it was discovered Windle was on federal parole for a weapons violation.

Thompson said Windle has been in and out of prison and was a member of a prison gang. A fully loaded 9mm pistol was found in the backyard of a home next to the alley where the struggle took place. Police believe it was thrown there by Windle.

Now, detectives and other investigators are looking into the circumstances of the man's death, which is standard procedure.

The exact cause of Windle's death will be determined by a medical examiner.