Report: Kicking, pantsless suspect was drugged prior to in-custody death

SAN ANTONIO — Levon Leroy Love, who died in police custody last month after an apparent medical emergency, was given a drug by emergency responders in an attempt to calm him and had his legs placed in restraints before he became unresponsive, a newly released document states.

The custodial death report, which agencies have to file with the state when someone dies in their custody, provides new details about what led to the Aug. 17 death of Love, 44.

It indicates that Love at times cooperated with orders but was mostly fighting against being treated by paramedics and being detained by police.

The Bexar County medical examiner's office still is working to determine the cause and manner of his death.

Love was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car about 12:30 p.m. that day near Eisenhauer Road and the Interstate 35 access road, a previously released police report says.

As emergency responders started to treat Love, he tried to drive away but crashed into another car, the report says. He then took off running north without any pants, but officers were able to catch up with Love and deployed a Taser to stop him, authorities said.

The police report says Love continued to struggle as he was handcuffed but became unresponsive soon after he was handcuffed. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead after arriving at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

The custodial death report says that after he took off running, Love stopped on a grass median after being told to do so by officers using a patrol car's public-address system.

But when officers tried to detain Love, he started to resist again, leading officers to use a Taser twice, according to the report, which was filed with the Texas attorney general's office Sept. 7.

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The officers then were able to get Love into handcuffs, having to use two sets because of “his large size.”

EMTs also gave Love a dose of Versed, a drug meant to calm him, the custodial death report says. But he continued to kick as they worked to assess him, so the EMTs asked police to put leg restraints on Love.

“After a few moments, EMTs requested the restraints be removed due to the deceased becoming unresponsive,” the report states.

The report says the restraints were taken off before Love was put in an ambulance to be taken to SAMMC.

The Police Department still is investigating the case and is awaiting the results of a toxicology test from the medical examiner, spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar said Tuesday.

djoseph@express-news.net