San Marcos in-custody death: New details revealed on what led up to it
SAN MARCOS, Texas - The San Marcos Police Chief revealed new information on Wednesday morning about what led up to the in-custody death of a Leander man on Tuesday.
43-year-old Dennis Thornton was pronounced dead in a hospital less than an hour and a half after San Marcos police officers found him on I-35 and arrested him.
"The body really starts shutting down at about 105 degrees," San Marcos-Hays County EMS Deputy Chief Jim Swisher said.
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When Thornton arrived at the hospital on Tuesday night, his body temperature was 108 degrees.
"If he was on stimulants like cocaine or whatever, that also increases heart rate, increases blood pressure, throw the heat in, throw dehydration in, throw the mental health issues, and all of that is kind of like the perfect storm to bring about this type of erratic behavior," Swisher said.
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Erratic behavior is what 12 callers described to dispatch about a man on I-35 on Tuesday afternoon.
"He had a bag and it looked like he was swinging it and was going to throw it at my windshield." San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge said. "He was running in and out of traffic, possibly contemplating jumping from the overpass."
When an officer found him, he was on I-35 over Posey Road leaning on the inside barrier that separates the northbound and southbound lanes.
"He had no weapon on him," Standridge said. "He had no contents in his pockets, no identification, nothing. We had no idea who he was."
The officer said they asked for his name, and he responded with incomprehensible noises, then charged at the officer. He was ordered to get on the ground, but refused, and the officer tased him.
"He tried to get back up," Standridge said.
At this point, officials said another officer had arrived and they both worked to put the man in handcuffs.
"They were able to get the first handcuff on him, but it took almost two full minutes before they could apply the second handcuff. During this time, Mr. Thornton is grunting and making unintelligible noises while aggressively preventing the application of that second handcuff," Standridge said.
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They then placed Thornton in a full body wrap restraint that forces him to be in a seated position. Officers took him to a local hospital, and he was treated for 51 minutes. Thornton died at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Thornton’s girlfriend told police he had taken drugs and had alcohol the night before and when they were heading to her appointment at a hospital in New Braunfels on Tuesday, Thornton was still intoxicated. Video surveillance shows Thornton leaving the hospital at around 1:45 p.m.
"Based upon the girlfriend, he did not have a vehicle, and he did not take her vehicle, so we would assume he was on foot," Standridge said.
Maps show the direct route from the hospital to where he was found in San Marcos is about 9.5 miles. Deputy Chief Swisher said the erratic behavior and what happened in this case sounds like Thornton was experiencing excitement, or hyperactive delirium.
"They have superhuman strength," Swisher said. "They don't fatigue, they will go until they're done, so their body gives out."
Standridge said the body worn camera footage will not be released until after a grand jury review.
This incident is being investigated by the San Marcos Police Department Criminal Investigations Division and Officer of Professional Conduct and the Texas Rangers.