TX – Marvin Scott III’s family wasn’t notified of his death in the Collin County Detention Agency until nearly 15 hours later, and then only by a text message from the medical examiner.
One day earlier, on March 14, Scott, who had a history of mental illness and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia years prior, was arrested by the Allen, Texas, police in the parking lot of a local outlet mall for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. According to the arresting officers, Scott was “incoherent” when police arrived on the scene. But rather than taking Scott, whose family says was undergoing a mental health crisis, to a specialized care facility like officers had done on previous occasions, police took Scott to a hospital — and later to jail.
Just after 10 p.m., after being pepper sprayed, placed in a spit mask, and held down and placed in a restraint chair, then a restraint bed, Scott became unresponsive. He was transported to a hospital by paramedics, who pronounced him dead. After an investigation by Texas Rangers, seven detention officers were fired. Another detention officer resigned while under investigation.
