Video: Soldier who died in police custody called out 'I can't breathe'

Sgt. James Brown, a Fort Bliss soldier, died in custody at the El Paso County Jail in July 2012. He had reported to the jail to serve a two-day sentence for DWI, according to KFOX14, which obtained a video made in the jail. The station released the video May 13, 2015. less Sgt. James Brown, a Fort Bliss soldier, died in custody at the El Paso County Jail in July 2012. He had reported to the jail to serve a two-day sentence for DWI, according to KFOX14, which obtained a video made ... more Photo: Christian, Carol, El Paso County Jail Photo: Christian, Carol, El Paso County Jail Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Video: Soldier who died in police custody called out 'I can't breathe' 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

An active duty Fort Bliss soldier who served two tours of duty in Iraq died in July 2012 after an unexplained incident at the El Paso County Jail.

According to KFOX-TV in El Paso, Sgt. James Brown had reported to the jail to serve a two-day sentence for DWI but didn't make it out alive. His family is suing El Paso County, claiming that his constitutional rights were violated, the station reported.

For some reason, Brown, who reportedly suffered from post-traumatic streses disorder, began bleeding in his cell.

When he wouldn't come to the window to talk to a guard, five or six men in riot gear stormed into the cell, as shown on a video obtained by KFOX via the Texas Attorney General's office.

The video proceeds to show Brown with a mask over his face, which he begs to have removed. He repeatedly calls out, "I can't breathe."

Eventually, at the end of the 16-minute video, Brown is shown unresponsive on a gurney being wheeled out of a room. According to KFOX, he was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Almost three years after Brown's death and KFOX's investigation began, the video was finally released.

El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles issued this statement to KFOX-TV:

"Mr. Brown's death was an unfortunate tragedy. The sheriff's office has conducted a thorough review of the facts surrounding Mr. Brown's death and, based upon all the evidence obtained, determined that his death was caused by a pre-existing medical condition. The specific evidence cannot be discussed because of pending litigation."