The tragic death of Symone Nicole Marshall, 22, in police custody last week has caused outrage among many. Marshall, a mother of a 5-year-old girl, was arrested after a serious rollover accident and transported to jail rather than a hospital. She later died of a pulmonary embolism after repeated requests for medical attention. Here are five things you should know about Symone Nicole Marshall, and her perhaps preventable death.
- On April 26, 2016, Marshall and a female passenger were forced off the road by a male driver in an episode of road rage. Her car rolled several times and landed in a ditch. Paramedics responding to the accident saw no visible injuries, and Murray as well as her female companion declined medical treatment at the time.
- When questioned by police, Marshall was not able to produce a valid driver’s license and gave police false information about her identity.
- Police also found cocaine and both women were arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges of cocaine possession. Marshall was also charged with providing false information. They were then transported to the Walker County, Texas, jail. Bail was set at $5,000 for both women. Her unidentified female companion was able to bond out of jail, but Marshall could not make bail. Her family spoke to Marshall several times as she remained in jail for two weeks after the accident.
- On May 10, 2016, Marshall suffered a seizure in her cell and was transported to Huntsville Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
- Walker County Texas Sheriff Clint McRae believes his department followed protocol and is not at fault for Marshall’s death. An investigation is underway by the Sheriff’s department and the Texas Rangers. “Even though we feel pretty comfortable, we’re going to look at it from all angles. We’re a very transparent department. We want to know exactly what happened so we can go home and sleep at night,” said McRae.
