Marvin David Scott died in police custody after a misdemeanor marijuana arrest

26-year-old Marvin David Scott III of Texas died while in police custody after being arrested for a misdemeanor marijuana charge.

What happened to Marvin David Scott III?

Scott III died at the Collin County Detention Facility on Sunday March 14, according to a press release from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Allen Police Department arrested Scott earlier Sunday.

Authorities say Allen police responded to a disturbance call at a local outlet when they encountered Scott III — who happened to be sitting next to a rolled cannabis joint — allegedly acting erratically, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“Concerned for his safety due to the possible ingestion of drugs,” the police called for help from the Allen Fire Department, who brought him to a local hospital.

Scott stayed in the emergency room for nearly three hours before he was discharged.

Nick Bristow, Collin County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said Scott was then arrested and taken to the Collin County Jail for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana.

According to Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner, Scott started exhibiting strange behavior once he was booked.

Seven detention officers attempted to restrain him and strap him to a bed, but authorities allege Scott continued to resist, prompting them to use pepper spray and put him in a spit hood.

Scott eventually became unresponsive and was taken to a local medical center where he was prounounced dead.

The arrest was inappropriate and he was suffering a mental health crisis.

Prominent civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing Scott’s family, says his client’s arrest was inappropriate and he was suffering a mental health crisis.

Merrit told NBC 5 that Scott was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was taking medications and had not experienced an episode related to his mental illness for at least a year.

In previous encounters with law enforcement, he was taken to facilities to receive treatment, instead of being incarcerated, Merritt said.

“There was ample time to evaluate him to understand this was someone in crisis who needed help and they chose not to provide help, they chose to use force instead and as a result a valuable member of this family is gone,” Merritt told the news station.

Scott’s older sister told NBC 5 that his family was informed of his death via text nearly 14 hours after he died.

Seven detention employees, including a captain, a lieutenant, two sergeants, and three detention officers, have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

The Texas Rangers are investigating Scott’s death. while the sheriff’s office will determine whether any policies were violated.

Scott’s death comes almost a year after Rochester, New York, police officers restrained Daniel Prude, another Black man with a history of mental illness, and covered his head in a spit hood.

Prude died a week later, but body camera footage from the police encounter was not released until September.