Leander man dies in custody of San Marcos police after officers use Taser, restrain him

A Leander man died in the custody of the San Marcos Police Department on Tuesday shortly after being shocked with a Taser and placed in restraints as he resisted an arrest, officials said.

San Marcos police responded to calls of a man, who was later found to be 43-year-old Dennis Thornton, "acting erratically" on top of an overpass road on Interstate 35 near Posey Road. Some of the people who called 911 said Thornton was lying on the edge of the overpass, throwing objects and yelling, according to a press release sent by the San Marcos Police Department on Wednesday.

Thornton did not respond to the first officer who arrived and attempted to make contact with him, police said. He then moved toward the officer, who backed away and told Thornton to get on the ground. Police said Thornton did not listen, and the officer then shot him with a Taser and he fell to the ground.

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As more officers arrived, they attempted to place Thornton in handcuffs, but police said he "resisted." Thornton placed his left arm near his head, which police said made it difficult to handcuff him. It took officers two minutes to handcuff Thornton, who then placed him in a wrap restraint, the release said.

Police said they "attempted to speak with Thornton" throughout the arrest, but he did not "coherently respond" to their questions or commands. They believed this behavior might have been due to a medical emergency and took him to the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in a police vehicle.

Police said Thornton received medical treatment for 51 minutes, but that "lifesaving measures were not successful" and Thornton was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m.

The Travis County medical examiner's office is conducting an autopsy, while investigations by the San Marcos Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Conduct take place at the same time as the Texas Rangers investigate the death.

A member of Thornton's family declined to comment Wednesday, stating that they are "waiting for answers."

The San Marcos Police Department is holding a press conference Thursday morning.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Leander man dies in custody of San Marcos police after arrest