SAN ANTONIO — A 37-year-old man who was being booked into the Bexar County jail died after authorities said he fought with deputies who then used a Taser on him.
Emmanuel Mora was pronounced dead less than two hours after arriving at the facility.
According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), Balcones Heights police brought Mora around 7 p.m. Sunday night. He was in the intake assessment area of the jail having his arrest warrant verified by booking deputies and awaiting a search before BCSO said he "began acting agitated and refused to be searched."
"Booking deputies attempted to deescalate the situation by placing Mora in handcuffs," agency officials went on to say in a release. "Mora was reportedly continuing to act agitated and refused to be placed in handcuffs, and was kicking deputies as well."
BCSO said deputies called in further assistance at 7:57 p.m., as well as medical staff. A deputy eventually used a Taser on Mora, at which additional medical assistance was requested.
"At this point, Mora seemingly calmed down and was seated on the bench for medical evaluation," BCSO officials said. "Shortly after, Mora became noncompliant and combative again."
BCSO says jail staff responded by placing Mora on the ground and putting him in handcuffs. At 8:15 he came "unresponsive," and medical staff started administering Narcan, a medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
Medical staff proceeded to use chest compressions and a defibrillator before administering additional Narcan doses. First responders took over the efforts to save Mora's life upon arriving at 8:40 p.m., but he was declared dead at 9:01.
In BCSO's release about the incident, agency officials point to pre-existing substance abuse as potentially having "exacerbated" the medical episode. But an official cause of death has yet to be determined by the local medical examiner's office.
Per procedure, BCSO will conduct multipole internal investigations into the Sunday night incident, while the Karnes County Sheriff's Office embarks on its own investigations.
Mora is the ninth person to have died while detained or behind bars at the Bexar County jail this year.