'Like it was a show' | Woman says La Marque PD wrongfully detained her, delayed medical treatment during seizures

KHOU 11
Author: Marcelino Benito (KHOU)
Published: 10:32 PM CST November 28, 2023
Updated: 10:35 PM CST November 28, 2023

LA MARQUE, Texas — A La Marque woman spoke out against the La Marque Police Department saying she was wrongly detained and delayed medical treatment earlier this month. The incident was captured on video.

Ciara Davis said she has a history of suffering from seizures. She had several on the night of Nov. 11 when police took her into custody. Why she was detained in the first place, though, is still a question police are not clearly answering.

"Just sit her up" -- those are the words of a friend who can be heard on video pleading with La Marque police officers as they arrested Davis. She's cuffed and on the ground and not moving.

"She has severe seizures," her friend is heard telling officers. Officers seemingly just watch.

"Once I woke up over there and on the ground, I knew I had a seizure, I could feel it in my body," Davis said.

Davis came to disoriented. She told officers her mouth was bleeding.

They tried putting her in the squad car. When they did, it appeared that another seizure began. She ended up on the ground again.

"I had chewed my mouth up and I was bleeding from my mouth," Davis said. "They stood over me like it was just a show. They didn't care at all."

They were finally able to load her in the police car. She asked for help again. She was heard saying, "I need EMS. I'm requesting medical assistance."

"I repeatedly asks for EMS, EMS, EMS, and they deny," Davis said.

La Marque police said they did call for EMS. But the squad car left the scene with Davis before help arrived. She was only taken by ambulance later.

"When I wake up, I'm outside the jailhouse with EMS, with their hands doing this to wake me up, I have slob stuck on my mouth," Davis said. "I was transported to the hospital after that by EMS."

Paperwork confirmed her visit and seizure diagnosis. She showed us the medication she takes to treat her condition.

"It went bad but it could have gone worse and not just for me but for anybody with any condition," Davis said.

Davis said she showed up at the police station hours after her release from the hospital to try and file a complaint.

"I tried to show them the pictures, the videos, he declined, told me to turn in the paperwork to another supervisor," Davis said.

La Marque police said they took Davis into custody on active outstanding warrants -- something Davis denies.

We asked La Marque to specify what those warrants were for and who issued them. So far, they haven't answered those questions. We can tell you Davis was not booked after the incident and court records show she was not charged with a crime, either.

"Even when I went that morning to make my complaint, if there was a warrant and I'm here why aren't you arresting me," Davis said. "They don't want to admit, but they messed up."

Davis called on La Marque PD to take a closer look at how it handles medical emergencies because she said it could have been far worse for her. She has a follow-up appointment to treat her seizures at UTMB on Thursday.