SAN ANTONIO – A 51-year-old man died while being arrested by San Antonio police last month, state records show.
Online records show San Antonio police filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General’s office earlier this month.
The report said Mark Tyson Cardwell died on Aug. 26, about 16 hours after San Antonio police officers took him into custody.
At 12:11 a.m., records show San Antonio police were called out to investigate a report of someone driving while intoxicated near Ridge Breeze and Ridge Place Street, which is on the West Side.
Details in Cardwell’s offense report describe his Tesla halfway on a curb in front of a neighborhood park.
Police found the driver, identified in the records as Cardwell. The officers said Cardell’s speech was slurred.
According to the offense report, police noted his car had about 25 alcoholic drinks inside and unknown pills in the trunk.
During Cardwell’s interaction with police, he reported feeling dizzy, according to the report. Officers called in EMS to check his vitals.
According to the offense report, EMS informed the reporting officer that they could take Cardwell to a hospital, but the officer said he “wanted to preform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on (Cardwell).”
EMS confirmed his vitals were normal and left, the custodial report said.
Police said Cardwell kept leaning on the hood of his vehicle and refused to take a sobriety test.
SAPD handcuffed Cardwell and sat him in the backseat of a patrol unit. While he was inside, the offense report said he “looked like he was about to throw up.”
The custodial death report states Cardwell “complained of difficulty breathing.”
Police took Cardwell out of the patrol unit, removed the handcuffs, then placed Cardwell in a “recovery position.” Records show police called EMS again.
The Cleveland Clinic says a recovery position is a first aid technique meant to keep an airway open if a person is unconscious, and usually requires a person to lie on their side.
While they waited for EMS, the offense report said Cardwell stopped responding to police.
First responders told officers his “heart stopped” and started doing CPR on Cardwell, according to the offense report. EMS also said Cardwell “did had signs of life” before taking him to a hospital.
Records show he was put on life support at an unspecified time.
According to the report, Cardwell was pronounced dead around 4:45 p.m. at the hospital — roughly 16 hours after he was arrested.
KSAT Investigates called the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday, who said Cardwell’s cause and manner of death are still pending.
KSAT emailed SAPD on Tuesday asking for the agency’s response to the report, as well as why they did not previously announce the in-custody death.
Over the phone, a sergeant for the police department said they are not required to send out news releases related to “in-custody deaths” compared to a shooting involving an officer.
Additionally, SAPD emailed KSAT a statement that included its condolences to the Cardwell family.
Read SAPD’s full statement below:
“Our thoughts go out to Mr. Cardwell’s family, and everyone involved in this tragic incident. This is still an active and ongoing investigation. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting their investigation to identify the cause and manner of death. As with all in-custody deaths, the Homicide Unit and the Internal Affairs Unit are conducting separate but concurrent investigations. The findings will be forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for an independent review. “
The San Antonio Police Department
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