The medical examiner ruled Alexis Cardenas’ death a homicide after a jail altercation, citing cardiac arrest from drugs, alcohol and restraint.
HOUSTON, Texas — The Harris County Medical Examiner has released the cause of death for a man who died after a struggle with detention officers while being released from jail in July.
32-year-old Alexis Cardenas was being released after a 30-hour stay on misdemeanor warrants. But a surveillance camera captured that instead of leaving, the father of four refused to leave and began struggling with the two officers.
“A physical altercation ensued as Cardenas attempted to force his way back inside the jail’s secured area,” said the narrator in the video.
The medical examiner has listed his cause of death as cardiac arrest resulting from a combination of alcohol and drugs, including meth and cocaine, as well as physical and electrical restraint.
His manner of death has been ruled a homicide.
As of last month, the Texas Rangers and HCSO Internal Affairs Division were investigating, and the evidence was expected to be turned over to the DA’s office to be presented to a grand jury.
The altercation
Cardenas lost most of his clothes and shoes during the altercation that lasted several minutes. He was tased at least once, but that didn’t appear to faze him.
Multiple officers eventually joined efforts to subdue Caredenas, but he still managed to get into a more secure area where other inmates were being processed for release. They watched the struggle until they were ushered out of the room.
At least one of the officers was injured when Cardenas swung his handcuffed right arm and struck him in the face. A different officer then began punching him in the face as they rolled him over face-down.
At one point, there were more than a dozen officers in the room as they finally got Cardenas in handcuffs.
More than 12 minutes after the struggle started, the officer holding the suspect’s head down realized he was unresponsive and called for help.
A body camera shows a detention sergeant performing chest compressions and a nurse was called. Cardenas was then rushed to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His family emphatically disputed the HCSO description of events.
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