Man being taken to jail passes out, dies later in SC hospital, coroner says
A man who passed out while being taken to jail died days later in a South Carolina hospital.
An autopsy on Exzabian M. Myers is scheduled for Monday in Newberry to determine the 31-year-old Graniteville resident’s cause of death, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said.
Myers died Saturday at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, according to Ables.
He was taken to the hospital Thursday after losing consciousness in an Aiken County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle while he was en route to jail, Ables said.
Myers was taken into custody by deputies on a charge of disorderly conduct, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputies were responding to reports of a man who was trying to get into passing cars and a possible robbery, according to the sheriff’s office. When they arrived at the intersection of Marshall and Ergle streets, they saw Myers in the middle of the road with traffic at a standstill, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said Myers told them “I’m high as f---. Take me to jail,” according to an incident report.
Once he was placed in handcuffs, Myers began to resist a deputy by trying to run into traffic and thrusting his body and kicking at the deputy, the incident report said.
One of the deputies used a Tazer to stun Myers and get him inside the patrol car, according to the incident report.
While en route to the Aiken County Detention Center, Myers was hitting his head on the partition and kicking at the rear window inside the patrol car, according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy stopped near 4020 Trolley Line Road, about 4 miles from where Myers was arrested, and called for help to restrain Myers from hurting himself, the sheriff’s office said. That’s near the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken.
Deputies restrained Myers, including by placing his legs in a restaurant, according to the sheriff’s office. Information on any other restraints used was not made available by the sheriff’s office.
Myers then reportedly became unresponsive, Ables said.
Another deputy gave Myers Narcan, which is a nasal spray or an injection used for people suffering from an overdose, the incident report said. When deputies saw Myers was not breathing, he was taken to the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
Because of the medical emergency, Myers was not officially charged with disorderly conduct, according to the incident report.
After Myers died, the sheriff’s office said it asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to lead an investigation.
Along with SLED, the coroner’s office continues to investigate Myers’ death.
Myers had a history of traffic offenses, including a 2013 conviction for failure to stop for a blue light, Aiken County court records show. In 2020, Myers was fined for traffic offenses, including driving on the wrong side of road, improper lane, or unsafely shifting lanes; texting while driving; and a seat belt violation, according to court records.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
