UPDATE:
The Temple Police Department received the cause of death report for Gordon, who died in October following a use of force incident.
The cause and manner of death does not provide conclusions regarding whether a crime has been committed, deeming the cause of death as physiological stress associated with prone physical restraint including conducted energy weapon injury in conjunction with the toxic effects of cocaine.
"The report listed other significant contributing factors as congestive heart failure, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus — the manner of death has been classified as a homicide," police said.
"For context, definitions of or links to information regarding cause of death, manner of death, homicide, and criminal homicide are provided below."
"Cause of death is the specific medical condition, injury, or disease that leads to death. Manner of death is the determination of how the condition, injury, or disease led to death. There are five manners of death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, and undetermined). Homicide is death that occurs at the hand of another person, either by commission or omission. However, the classification of homicide does not necessarily mean that a crime was committed and can be criminal or non-criminal."
This incident is still being investigated by the Texas Rangers, and no other information is available at this time.
UPDATE:
The Temple Police Department has identified the individual as 43-year-old Billy Gordon from Temple.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Texas Rangers and Temple Police Department are investigating an incident that occurred around noon on Wednesday that left one suspect dead.
To read both pages of the full news release sent to 25 News by Temple police, see below:
Officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of South 13th Street for a welfare concern — the caller said that someone was tearing up his home, and that the confrontation was physical, said an individual had been over earlier, and had returned acting erratically, possibly under the influence of narcotics.
The suspect in this incident was exhibiting dangerous and life-threatening behavior during this situation, and did not comply with police or cease his actions.
After being tased multiple times by Temple police after struggling with officers and not complying with commands or directions, the suspect went limp and officers advised he had gone unconscious.
Police rolled the suspect on his side and "continued to try and wake the suspect by initiating a sternum rub", and called for EMS.
Officers advised that the individual was not breathing at around 12:23 p.m. and began life-saving treatment — initiating CPR on the individual and deploying Narcan.
"The caller advised officers at the scene that the suspect explained to the caller he spent the caller’s money purchasing crack cocaine before returning to the apartment and exhibiting odd and abnormal behavior," police said.
"The caller further stated that he had tried by force to remove the individual from his residence prior to calling police."
Authorities declared the individual's time of death to be 12:59 p.m. — an autopsy was ordered.
Local authorities have launched an internal affairs investigation to fully understand the incident.
This is an ongoing investigation and no other information will be released at this time.
Anyone with information should contact the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500 or the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477, where callers can report anonymously.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously here.
