Photo Courtesy of News One
Seven Texas police officers involved in detaining Marvin Scott III, who died while in custody, were fired last Thursday following an investigation, The Dallas News reported. An eighth officer resigned.
Sheriff Jim Skinner said to The Dallas News in a written statement, “Evidence I have seen confirms that these detention officers violated well-established Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures. Everyone in Collin County deserves safe and fair treatment, including those in custody at our jail. I will not tolerate less.”
Scott’s father, Marvin Scott, Jr., called the firings a “good first step,” but his mother, LaSandra Scott, believes the punishment needs to go further.
“We are glad they were fired, but they need to be arrested. They did not do their jobs like they were supposed to,” she said.
The family has been upset about the lack of transparency by the Sherriff’s Office and has retained the counsel of civil rights attorney Lee Merritt. The complaint revealed Scott’s family was notified of the man’s death, via text message. Merritt also divulged that his family was excluded from the March 19 press conference held by the department. Scott’s family, in conjunction with Merritt, held their own.
News Onyx reported on March 22 that Scott’s family said he had been experiencing a mental health crisis as the result of diagnosed schizophrenia that had been controlled with the use of medication. Scott was initially taken to a hospital but released and subsequently arrested for marijuana possession.
Officers claimed Scott “exhibited some strange behavior” and attempted to subdue him by using pepper spray, strapping him to a restraint bed and using a spit hood. Scott became unresponsive and died.
His death led to protests outside a retail outlet and the Collin County Jail where Scott died. His family was joined in these protests by the families of Botham Jean, who was killed in his home by an off-duty Texas police officer, and Atatiana Jefferson, who was killed by police in her home after a neighbor called police for a wellness check on Jefferson whose door was ajar.
The officers’ names have not been released.
The investigation is ongoing.