Texas Man Dies in Police Custody After Being Tased, Restrained

A Leander man, Dennis Thornton, 43, died on Tuesday evening while in the custody of the San Marcos Police Department.

Police Statement: On Tuesday, SMPD officers responded to calls of a man 'acting erratically' on an I-35 overpass. The man, later identified as Dennis Thornton, did not respond to officers' attempts to make contact, and moved towards one of the officers, who then deployed their Taser. Thornton was then handcuffed and placed in restraints as he resisted arrest. He did not coherently respond to officers' questions, and was transported to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m.

• [URL: https://www.statesman.com/news/2023/06/14/san-marcos-police-dennis-thornton-taser-death-investigation/]According to the Austin American-Statesman, Thornton was "lying on the edge of the overpass, throwing objects and yelling".

Thornton '"resisted arrest" and placed his left arm near his head, resisting handcuffs. It took officers two minutes to restrain him with handcuffs and a wrap restraint.

• [URL: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/san-marcos-police-release-body-cam-footage-showing-events-leading-up-to-death-of-dennis-thornton/]KXAN provides additional context, noting that police attempted to speak with Thornton during the arrest, but he did not respond**,** and his behavior indicated a possible medical emergency.

• Autopsy and Investigations: The Travis County medical examiner is conducting an autopsy.

  • The SMPD's Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Conduct are investigating, alongside the Texas Rangers.
  • URL: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/san-marcos-police-release-body-cam-footage-showing-events-leading-up-to-death-of-dennis-thornton/

The San Marcos PD is set to hold a press conference on Thursday morning, and attempts to reach Thornton's family have not yet been successful.

This story will be updated with further details as they emerge.

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