Texas Jail Cops Fired Over Black Man’s In-Custody Death After Arrest For ‘Small Amount’ Of Weed

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Marvin Scott III | Source: Twitter

The firing of multiple detention officers involved in the in-custody death of a Black man is seen as “a good first step,” but they were neither charged nor arrested for their roles at the Collin County jail in McKinney, Texas.

Seven jail cops lost their jobs on Thursday, nearly two weeks after Marvin Scott III died on their watch at the detention center in suburban Dallas. Scott was arrested for marijuana possession on March 14 and booked the same day. The 26-year-old was found “sitting next to a joint” at an outlet mall.

His family contends he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the lawyer representing Scott’s family suggested the “small amount of weed” prompted officers to immediately criminalize him instead of recognizing the mental health crisis for what it was.

Scott was taken to a nearby hospital but was eventually released and booked in the Collin County jail that same say. Officers claim they observed Scott exhibiting “strange behavior” in the booking area, prompting them to pepper-spray him and use a “pain compliance technique” that the Dallas Morning News reported “many law-enforcement agencies abstain from using.”

The officers then covered Scott’s head with a spit hood. He eventually became unresponsive and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. An official cause of death is pending.

Scott’s father was pleased with the officers’ firings but said they must be arrested and charged, as well. Scott’s mother said the officers “did not do their jobs like they were supposed to.”

An eighth officer who was involved resigned before he could be fired.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt is representing Scott’s family. He said Scott’s prior arrests related to his mental health should have compelled law enforcement to keep him hospitalized instead of jailing him.

“When officers are aware of [someone’s mental health history], they’re supposed to take certain precautions,” Merritt said last month after Scott died. “They were not taken here, and they’re often not taken, and it results in unnecessary death.”

Texas has become all but notorious for its in-custody deaths of Black people.

Notably, motorist Sandra Bland died behind bars following her controversial arrest for “assault of a public servant” during a routine traffic stop in Waller County in 2015. Bland’s death was ruled a suicide despite calls as recently as 2019 for the death to be re-investigated. The video of her arrest suggests she never should have been taken into custody in the first place. No one has been held accountable for her death.

In 2016, a 22-year-old mother also died in Texas police custody. Symone Nicole Marshall and a female passenger were involved in a single-vehicle accident before police arrested them both on possession of cocaine and misdemeanor and felony charges. Marshall allegedly provided false identification.

A day later, the friend was released after posting bail, but Marshall was unable to pay her $5,000 bond and spent two more weeks in jail. Her sisters claimed Marshall complained of headaches and feared blacking out. They reported Marshall’s discomfort to the Walker County Jail and insisted that she receive medical attention. Marshall ultimately suffered a seizure and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

And in 2019, Evan Lyndell Parker was found hanging in the same jail where Bland died. Bland’s death prompted police reforms that could have prevented Parker’s death. For example, face-to-face cell inspections were supposed to occur more frequently after Bland died. But Parker died a month after inspectors found that the jailers failed to meet standards for observing prisoners.

SEE ALSO:

Family Of Texas Man Who Died In Police Custody After Use Of Excessive Force Calls For Arrest Of Officers

Louisiana State Troopers Joked In ‘LOL’ Group Text About Beating Black Man With ‘Ass Whoopin’

108 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police

108 photos Launch gallery

108 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police

1. Matthew Williams, 35

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2. Daunte Wright, 20

Source:Twitter/@MeritLaw 2 of 108

3. Marvin D. Scott III, 26

Source:GoFundMe 3 of 108

4. Kurt Reinhold, 42

Source:Getty 4 of 108

5. McHale Rose, 19

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6. Xzavier Hill, 18

Source:Change.org 6 of 108

7. Frederick Cox, 18

Source:Facebook/Tenicka Shannon 7 of 108

8. Patrick Warren Sr.

Source:Patrick Warren Jr. 8 of 108

9. Carl Dorsey III, 39

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10. Dolal Idd, 23

Source:GoFundMe 10 of 108

11. Andre' Hill, 47

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12. Joshua Feast

12 of 108

13. Maurice Gordon

Source:Mercury LLC 13 of 108

14. Casey Goodson Jr.

Source:Walton + Brown, LLP 14 of 108

15. Rodney Applewhite

Source:Ben Crump 15 of 108

16. A.J. Crooms

16 of 108

17. Sincere Pierce

17 of 108

18. Walter Wallace Jr.

18 of 108

19. Marcellis Stinnette, teen killed by police in Waukegan, Illinois

Source:Twitter 19 of 108

20. Jonathan Price

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21. Deon Kay

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22. Daniel Prude

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23. Damian Daniels

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24. Dijon Kizzee

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25. Trayford Pellerin

Source:GoFundMe 25 of 108

26. David McAtee

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27. Natosha “Tony” McDade

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28. George Floyd

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29. Yassin Mohamed

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30. Finan H. Berhe

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31. Sean Reed

Source:Twitter 31 of 108

32. Steven Demarco Taylor

Source:S. Lee Merritt 32 of 108

33. Ariane McCree

Source:The Herald/YouTube 33 of 108

34. Terrance Franklin

34 of 108

35. Miles Hall

Source:KRON4 35 of 108

36. Darius Tarver

Source:S. Lee Merritt 36 of 108

37. William Green

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38. Samuel David Mallard, 19

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39. Kwame "KK" Jones, 17

Source:facebook 39 of 108

40. De’von Bailey, 19

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41. Christopher Whitfield, 31

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42. Anthony Hill, 26

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43. De'Von Bailey, 19

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44. Eric Logan, 54

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45. Jamarion Robinson, 26

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46. Gregory Hill Jr., 30

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47. JaQuavion Slaton, 20

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48. Ryan Twyman, 24

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49. Brandon Webber, 20

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50. Jimmy Atchison, 21

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51. Willie McCoy, 20

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52. Emantic "EJ" Fitzgerald Bradford Jr., 21

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53. D’ettrick Griffin, 18

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54. Jemel Roberson, 26

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55. DeAndre Ballard, 23

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56. Botham Shem Jean, 26

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57. Antwon Rose Jr., 17

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58. Robert Lawrence White, 41

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59. Anthony Lamar Smith, 24

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60. Ramarley Graham, 18

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61. Manuel Loggins Jr., 31

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62. Trayvon Martin, 17

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63. Wendell Allen, 20

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64. Kendrec McDade, 19

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65. Larry Jackson Jr., 32

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66. Jonathan Ferrell, 24

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67. Jordan Baker, 26

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68. Victor White lll, 22

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69. Dontre Hamilton, 31

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70. Eric Garner, 43

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71. John Crawford lll, 22

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72. Michael Brown, 18

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73. Ezell Ford, 25

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74. Dante Parker, 36

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75. Kajieme Powell, 25

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76. Laquan McDonald, 17

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77. Akai Gurley, 28

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78. Tamir Rice, 12

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79. Rumain Brisbon, 34

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80. Jerame Reid, 36

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81. Charly Keunang, 43

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82. Tony Robinson, 19

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83. Walter Scott, 50

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84. Freddie Gray, 25

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85. Brendon Glenn, 29

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86. Samuel DuBose, 43

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87. Christian Taylor, 19

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88. Jamar Clark, 24

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89. Mario Woods, 26

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90. Quintonio LeGrier, 19

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91. Gregory Gunn, 58

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92. Akiel Denkins, 24

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93. Alton Sterling, 37

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94. Philando Castile, 32

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95. Terrence Sterling, 31

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96. Terence Crutcher, 40

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97. Keith Lamont Scott, 43

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98. Alfred Olango, 38

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99. Jordan Edwards, 15

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100. Stephon Clark, 22

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101. Danny Ray Thomas, 34

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102. DeJuan Guillory, 27

Source:false 102 of 108

103. Patrick Harmon, 50

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104. Jonathan Hart, 21

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105. Maurice Granton, 24

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106. Julius Johnson, 23

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107. Jamee Johnson, 22

Source:S. Lee Merritt 107 of 108

108. Michael Dean, 28

Source:S. Lee Merritt 108 of 108

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Continue reading 108 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police

108 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police

UPDATED: 1:20 p.m. ET, April 15, 2021 -- Police shooting and killing Black males is all but a centuries-old American tradition among law enforcement in the U.S. But the fact that this apparent rite of police passage is still thriving in 2021 and only seems to be gaining momentum instead of slowing should give any American citizen pause as an increasing number of Black people -- especially males both young and old -- continue to be added to a growing list of victims with what seems like a new shooting every week. MORE: #SayHerName: Black Women And Girls Killed By Police Matthew Williams became the most recent Black male killed in an instance of preventable police violence when officers in Georgia said they shot him on April 12, 2021, because he had a knife. However, Williams' family rejects that narrative and has demanded the release of bodycam footage to verify police claims. [caption id="attachment_4139462" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Matthew Williams and his mother. | Source: Twitter[/caption] Williams died in his own home from the shooting. The lawyer re[resenting the family said the police are actively engaged in trying "to cover up killing a man in his own home." Local news outlet 11Alive reported that a witness said Williams was not armed with a knife when he was shot. One of Williams's five sisters said the police narrative is totally out of character for her brother. "My brother was not violent. My brother was not confrontational," Chyah Williams said. "He was the most caring, giving, selfless person you could ever meet." https://twitter.com/ArianaTriggs/status/1382444831910334464?s=20 Williams' killing came one day after a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright was shot and killed during a traffic stop that centered on the number of air fresheners hanging from a car's rearview mirror. Williams and Wright join a long list of other Black men and boys killed by the police, including but certainly not limited to: Tamir Rice; Botham Shem Jean; E.J. Bradford; and Michael Brown. But two of the most recent names that can tragically be included in this deadly equation are Michael Dean, a 28-year-old father who police shot in the head on Dec. 3, 2019, and Jamee Johnson, a 22-year-old HBCU student who police shot to death after a questionable traffic stop on Dec. 14, 2019. One of the most distressing parts of this seemingly nonstop string of police killings of Black people is the fact that more times than not, the officer involved in the shooting can hide behind the claim that they feared for their lives -- even if the victim was shot in the back, as has become the case for so many deadly episodes involving law enforcement. In a handful of those cases -- such as Antwon Rose, a 13-year-old boy killed in Pittsburgh, and Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old killed in Sacramento, both of whom were unarmed -- the officers either avoided being criminally charged altogether or were acquitted despite damning evidence that the cops' lives were not threatened and there was no cause for them to resort to lethal force or any violence for that matter. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained in so many of these cases, described the above scenarios in his new book, "Open Season," as the "genocide" of Black people. As NewsOne continues covering these shootings that so often go ignored by mainstream media, the below running list (in no certain order) of Black men and boys who have been shot and killed by police under suspicious circumstances can serve as a tragic reminder of the dangers Black and brown citizens face upon being born into a world of hate that has branded them as suspects since birth. Scroll down to learn more about the Black men and boys who have lost their lives to police violence.

Texas Jail Cops Fired Over Black Man’s In-Custody Death After Arrest For ‘Small Amount’ Of Weed  was originally published on newsone.com