DENTON, TX, Dec. 9, 2022 – The Texas Rangers are investigating a Denton Police Department in-custody death after an arrestee experienced an apparent medical episode last week and later died.
At 11:57 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, officers were dispatched to a reckless driving call in the 4100 block of Vintage Boulevard. The caller reported that a male, who was driving a vehicle with flat tires, had struck poles and a median at a construction site.
Officers located and spoke with the male who advised that he was traveling from Bowie and believed he was currently in Lewisville. During the on-scene investigation, the male stated he had consumed alcohol while in Bowie. Officers attempted to conduct standardized field sobriety tests, but the driver was unable to follow a stimulus or maintain his balance to complete the tests.
Officers arrested the male for driving while intoxicated. While officers were completing paperwork for a blood draw warrant, the male became unresponsive in the back of the patrol vehicle. Officers called for medics, who responded and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, Denton PD was notified that the male had been pronounced deceased. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified him as 46-year-old Andrew Louden, and his cause of death has not yet been determined. While Louden was pronounced deceased at the hospital, this is being investigated as an in-custody death due to him being under arrest at the time he was pronounced.
The investigation is ongoing, and all inquiries regarding the investigation status should be directed to the Texas Rangers. Per department policy, a concurrent Internal Affairs investigation is underway.