Newstrack: Ruling expected soon in 2013 death investigation

BACKGROUND

On July 22, 2013, Coralville police responded to a restaurant in the 2400 block of Second Street in Coralville for a man behaving in an out-of-control manner. Officers encountered 40-year-old Thomas Martinez, of Arizona, whom they described as drug-fueled.

Officers deployed stun guns on Martinez, whom police said was experiencing some kind of medical issue at the time of the incident. He was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he died the following day.

What's happened since

More than a year and a half after Thomas Martinez died, Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said she is getting close to releasing the findings of her investigation into his death.

Lyness said Wednesday that she has completed her review of the investigative materials related his death.

'I have to get the report written,” Lyness said. Asked when the report would be complete, Lyness said, 'Hopefully soon.”

'Initially it took a long time to get the medical reports,” she said. 'Then it's just the time to revise everything. Now that we have everything, I just have to get the report written.”

A death certificate wasn't issued until November 2013, after an autopsy and toxicology screens were completed. Mike Hensch, administrator for the Johnson County Medical examiner's office, said Martinez's cause of death was 'anoxic brain injury due to resuscitated cardiac arrest due to methamphetamine intoxication.” Essentially, meth caused Martinez to go into cardiac arrest, which deprived his brain of oxygen.

His manner of death was ruled accidental.

However, the death certificate also lists three significant conditions contributing to his death - being subdued in a prone position, the Taser deployment and a defect in his right coronary artery.

Chief Barry Bedford said an internal review showed his officers acted appropriately in the situation.

'They followed policy and standard protocols, both medically and for the use of the Tasers,” he said.

Lyness said she doesn't expect her findings to stray far from Bedford's decision about his officers' actions.

'Without getting into the content, I don't think my opinion is going to be much different from Barry Bedford's,” she said.

Coralville city officials, including City Administrator Kelly Hayworth and Mayor John Lundell said this month they look forward to having the matter put to rest.

'It appeared that the police department did everything correctly and did the best they could,” Hayworth said. 'Having said that, we would love to have that investigation concluded by the county attorney and the information released.”

Lundell said he doesn't think the community is too concerned about the outcome of the investigation.

'It's a concern more internally for the police department just wanting to put it to bed once and for all,” he said. 'I don't see it as a concern.”