Contrasting pictures emerged Wednesday of a Daily Press employee who died Tuesday night in the custody of San Bernardino County Sheriffs deputies after being stunned with a taser multiple times.
Family and co-workers of Dante Parker, 36, said the Victorville resident was a hard-working, well-liked pressman with a good sense of humor who loved to sing on the job. They said he took good care of his family and had been riding his bicycle for years to lose weight.
Parkers cousin, Geshun Harris, told the Daily Press in an email that Parker leaves behind a wife and five children: Four girls ranging in age from 8 to 19 and a 5-year-old boy.
My cousin was a good man, and thats hard to do when youre born into the streets of L.A. County, Harris said. (He) worked hard and took care of his kids and his wife. He would have been 37 (on Thursday). He would always tell me to keep working hard so we can ... get our family out of L.A. My cousin was a good (man) who was born into a terrible place but didnt let that stop him.
But the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a detailed Wednesday press release that Parker was considered a suspect in the attempted burglary of a house in the 13000 block of Bucknell Court. A deputy from the Victorville Station stopped Parker while he was riding his bicycle on Luna Road in Victorville around 5 p.m. after the reported breaking-and-entering attempt. The resident who called deputies had told them the suspect fled on a bicycle.
Parkers co-workers said he had stopped drinking earlier this year and had been trying to lose weight for years after his doctor told him he was at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Tuesday was one of his regular days off.
He had been trying to lose weight, Daily Press pressman Ronald Bantug said. He asked me how to do it and I told him to get on a bike. He had been riding his bike for years with his wife or one of his kids; he lived (around Luna Road) and would always ride in that area. Hed do jumping jacks on breaks out by the freeway or run laps around the building.
The Sheriffs Department said after stopping Parker, the deputy was involved in a struggle to detain him. The sheriffs news release said Parker appeared to the deputy to possibly be under the influence of an unknown substance. As the deputy attempted to take Parker into custody, he became uncooperative and combative, sheriffs officials said.
The Sheriffs Department said the deputy stunned Parker with a taser multiple times and continued to struggle with him for several minutes until another deputy arrived. The two deputies continued to try to gain control of Parker for several minutes. He was eventually handcuffed and placed into the backseat of a patrol unit.
That whole story is totally wrong; thats just not Dante, Richard Loredo, a former Daily Press pressman who worked with Parker, said Wednesday. Dantes not a burglar ... You can see how well his kids were raised; he was a good dad. For the police department to portray him like that is ... unfair.
Sheriffs officials said that after being arrested, deputies observed Parker sweating profusely and he appeared to have labored breathing. Medical aid was requested and arrived at the location. Parker was transported by ambulance to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for treatment.
According to authorities, Parker was conscious but incoherent while receiving medical treatment at the hospital. He died while still receiving treatment.
