The San Marcos Police Department and Texas Rangers are investigating an in-custody death that occurred earlier this week. On Tuesday evening, around 6:59 p.m., dispatchers received multiple 9-1-1 calls about a man acting erratically on Interstate 35. The individual, identified as 43-year-old Dennis Thornton of Leander, was reported to be causing a disturbance on the overpass near mile marker 200, according to a city announcement.
Responding officers encountered Thornton, who appeared to be non-responsive to verbal commands and was acting unpredictably. An officer deployed a Taser after Thornton moved towards him and failed to comply with instructions to get on the ground. Following the Taser deployment, Thornton was subdued and, despite resisting, was handcuffed and placed in a wrap restraint by the officers.
Officers suspected a potential medical emergency based on Thornton's behavior upon their arrival and subsequently transported him to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital for evaluation. Despite receiving medical attention for approximately 51 minutes, Thornton was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m. "Throughout the interaction, officers attempted to speak with Thornton," officials said in the city's statement, noting, "Officers on scene reported that Thornton did not coherently respond verbally to questions or commands." The events have triggered multiple investigations into the incident, including reviews by the local police department's Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Conduct as well as the Texas Rangers Division.
A press conference is scheduled for Thursday morning, where more information is expected to be disclosed. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death. Meanwhile, the investigations by the respective authorities are continuing to unfold.
