‘Erratic’ Fullerton man bites officer, dies following gruesome arrest

Warning: This article includes graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

Video released on Friday shows the brutal and frantic moments during a Fullerton man’s arrest that, for reasons yet to be released, ultimately led to his death.

In the early morning hours of April 20, according to the Fullerton Police Department, an officer saw the suspect holding a smoldering cardboard box in a city park after closing hours.

The man, who police said was acting in an “erratic” manner, was identified as 46-year-old Jose Luis Naranjo Cortez. Officials noted Cortez’s history of criminal convictions, which include voluntary manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, unlawful sex with a minor, possession of drugs, possession of burglary tools, DUI, criminal threats and more.

The bodycam footage starts with an officer approaching Cortez at Lemon Park, ordering him to put the smoldering cardboard on the ground.

Cortez initially argues against the officer approaching, saying, “I’m not on probation.”

The officer replies, saying, “I don’t care, put it on the ground. You can’t light fires in public.”

This back and forth continues while Cortez ultimately follows the officer’s orders to sit down, but he continues to say concerning and at times, illogical things. At one point, he tells the officer, “You’re giving me tuberculosis.”

It seems Cortez was trying to argue that he was attempting to leave the park, explaining that his brother and a lady were also there and had “bugged it.” Cortez also says that he recently got out of jail.

The situation escalates when the officer, now assisted by one other officer, begins to approach Cortez to make him stand.

“Where are you gonna take me to, man?” Cortez asks as they reach for his arms. “You’re giving me tuberculosis, sir,” he again claims, along with repeating that he’s not on probation, and asking what he did wrong.

Once the officers start putting more force into pulling Cortez up, he clearly becomes agitated, his voice cracking and he begins yelling.

“No! You can’t eat me, sir,” Cortez shouts.

The situation erupts as multiple officers jump in to force a now fully resistant Cortez onto the ground.

Moments into this altercation, the officer with the bodycam is heard saying, “Ah! He’s f***ing biting me!”

The department confirmed this assault, saying in a release that “while attempting to take the male into custody, the suspect violently bit an officer on the arm, causing injuries.”

The video continues on, showing Cortez fighting in agony to resist as more officers arrive and soon attempt to de-escalate his behavior, telling him to calm down and trying to reason with him, saying, “We’re gonna be gentle if you’re gentle.”

At one point, an unidentified man claiming to be Cortez’s brother is heard running toward the scene, causing a few of the officers to leave Cortez to prevent his access. His self-proclaimed brother was later arrested for resisting and delaying an officer.

Cortez’s motions begin to calm down the longer he’s forcefully detained, and while the officers begin backing away, a conversation is heard between the officer who was bitten and others who arrived after the fact.

“Damn it,” says the officer wearing the bodycam. “That’s a bad bite.”

“Is your hand alright, dude?” One officer is heard asking.

“He got my forearm,” the other officer replies. “So I punched him like, twice.”

As the scene continues to unfold, police are seen beginning to question whether Cortez is breathing, but soon discover that he is. It’s not until paramedics arrive that Cortez eventually stops breathing, and life-saving measures begin at the scene.

Footage of the incident ended there, but the incident briefing video continued on where an official explained that Cortez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Please keep in mind this is an initial review, and our understanding of this incident could possibly change as additional evidence is collected, analyzed, and reviewed,” police said in a release. “The Fullerton Police Department also does not draw any conclusions as to whether or not our officers acted within our department policy, and the law, until all the facts are known, and the independent investigation by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is complete.”

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