The Collin County sheriff announced Thursday he's terminated seven officers involved in the in-custody death of 26-year-old Marvin Scott III.
The decision was made after an internal affairs investigation intended to determine if detention officers followed jail policies when booking Scott, Sheriff Jim Skinner said.
An eighth officer resigned during the investigation.
"Evidence I have seen confirms that these detention officers violated well-established Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures," Skinner said in a statement. "Everyone in Collin County deserves safe and fair treatment, including those in custody at our jail. I will not tolerate less."
Scott was arrested in March by Allen police for possession of a small amount of marijuana. After arriving at the jail he was forcibly strapped down to a bed, hooded and pepper sprayed in the process.
Scott’s family’s lawyer, Lee Merritt, said Scott had schizophrenia, and was experiencing a manic episode during the incident.
Four hours after being booked into the jail, an ambulance was called and Scott was dead.
The Texas Rangers are conducting a criminal investigation into Scott's death.
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