More than a month after the in-custody death of Marvin Scott III the Collin County NAACP is joining Scott's family and the civil rights attorney, in calling for more information.
Scott's mother, father, sister and attorney met with prosecutors in the Collin County District Attorney's Office for approximately two hours, discussing the in-custody death of the 26-year-old
In a news conference held on the steps of the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney Monday, the NAACP of Collin County and civil rights attorneys representing Scott's family demanded transparency in the investigation and to see all video related to the investigation by next week.
“No one in this community would accept 35 days of not knowing how and what happened to their loved one,” said local NAACP chapter president June Jenkins.
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After more than a month, Scott's family and attorney say no new details or videos have been released in the case and the family still does not know the details behind the death or who is responsible.
Although Scott’s family emerged from the meeting they describe as ‘productive,’ they still don’t have what they need.
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“I cannot tell you what happened to my son,” said LaSondra Scott following the meeting. “All I know is he arrived alive and ended up deceased.”
To date, seven detention officers involved in Scott's death have been fired, and an eighth resigned, following an internal investigation into whether any policies and procedures were followed.
Scott whose family members say may have been suffering from a mental health crisis died on Sunday, March 14.
Scott's parents previously told NBC 5 the firings were a step in the right direction, but are waiting for the officers involved to be arrested and charged.
Scott was arrested at the Allen Premium Outlets last month for the possession of fewer than two ounces of marijuana, which is a misdemeanor, Skinner said.
Scott was first taken to a hospital where he remained in an emergency room for about three hours, the department said. He was then released and taken to the Collin County Jail.
While in custody, Scott appeared to "exhibit some strange behavior," which prompted detention officers to secure him onto a restraint bed, the sheriff said. Officers used pepper spray and attached a spit mask on Scott's face.
At some point, he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An attorney with Merritt’s law office accompanied the family on Monday.
Attorney Blerim Elmazi says it is still unclear when or if any available video of the incident will be provided to the family.
Detectives with the Texas Rangers are responsible for the criminal investigation related to in-custody deaths of inmates.
It is still unclear when the agency will complete the criminal investigation and potentially turn the case over to the district attorney's office to send to a grand jury.
“No assurances have been made regarding any arrests,” said Elmazi.
He went on to say they have so many unanswered questions about the deadly encounter they don’t know what charges they want leveled against the former detention employees.
“We do believe that homicide charges are appropriate,” he said. “Whether that’s murder or some lesser-degree offense.”
Law enforcement's use of face coverings such as spit hoods on people -- and the frequent reliance on police to respond to mental health emergencies -- drew new attention last year following Daniel Prude's suffocation in Rochester, New York. The mesh coverings have been linked to other deaths.
The Collin County Medical Examiner is expected to release its autopsy in a few weeks. An independent autopsy found Scott's death was likely caused by restraint and asphyxiation.
Scott's mother said her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years ago, but hadn't had an episode in about a year.
The Scott family said nightly protests outside the Collin County Jail will continue until the former detention employees are arrested and charged in Scott’s death.
