Man Dies in Custody of San Antonio Police After Being Shocked Several Times with a Weapon

The San Antonio Police Department filed with the Attorney General of Texas a custodial death report regarding the death of Gaspar David Guzman.  Information in this post was obtained from that report and, like all other posts at this website, we make no allegation of any wrongdoing by anyone.

San Antonio police officers were dispatched to a home on Rosemont Drive in San Antonio for an alleged disturbance.  They noticed that Mr. Guzman was apparently intoxicated.  Officers then attempted to place Mr. Guzman into a friend’s vehicle, so that the friend could drive him home.  Mr. Guzman refused to get into the friend’s vehicle.  Officers then decided to arrest Mr. Guzman.

Mr. Guzman allegedly resisted being arrested.  Officers then took Mr. Guzman to the ground.  San Antonio police officers then used multiple “drive stuns” with an electronic control weapon on Mr. Guzman’s back.  Mr. Guzman was ultimately handcuffed.  EMS arrived at the scene.  Mr. Guzman allegedly refused treatment from EMS by actively resisting treatment and telling EMS that he did not want treatment.  EMS then left.  Mr. Guzman allegedly continued to resist officers by kicking with his legs.  At some point, Mr. Guzman began to gag.  He then stopped responding to questions, after vomiting, and his heart rate slowed.  Officers requested that EMS return to treat Mr. Guzman.  Mr. Guzman was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.