HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS — A Harris County grand jury returned a "no bill," declining to indict six detention officers in the death of 32-year-old inmate Alexis Cardenas. Cardenas, who had been arrested on years-old traffic warrants, died after a confrontation with officers in July 2025 as he was being released from custody.

Surveillance video released by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, which does not include audio, shows officers attempting to escort Cardenas out of the facility. The video shows Cardenas refusing to leave and officers trying to drag him out of the building.

When Cardenas attempted to reenter a secure area of the jail, officers pulled him to the ground. During the struggle, Cardenas grabbed an officer's leg, pulling him down, and briefly gained control of a TASER. The sheriff's office said an attempt to use the TASER was unsuccessful.

Cardenas later breached a secure area of the jail. Video shows another individual pushing him to the ground, and an officer is seen kicking him in the stomach. Cardenas continued struggling with officers for about two minutes before becoming motionless. The confrontation lasted more than 12 minutes.

The medical examiner determined Cardenas died of cardiac dysrhythmia associated with the effects of methamphetamine and cocaine during physical restraint, and ruled the death a homicide. In court filings, attorneys for the county said, "He passed from a drug overdose that adversely affected his heart." The attorneys noted that the autopsy did not identify head injuries as the cause of death.

The sheriff's office said five of the officers involved remain on temporary assignments that do not involve inmate contact while an internal investigation continues. A sixth officer's status was not addressed in the sheriff's office statement.