The trial of two men accused of murdering Fort Worth Police Officer Garrett Hull in 2018 has been delayed after one of the defendants reportedly told authorities he swallowed razor blades.
Timothy Huff complained of chest pains on Tuesday morning, May 31, and was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NBC 5. Once at the hospital, he revealed to workers that he had “accidentally” swallowed a razor blade.
Most inmates are allowed safety razors for shaving purposes, the Sheriff’s Office said, but did not explain or speculate how a prisoner could get one inside his mouth and swallow it. The office stated staff will monitor him to see if he passes the blade or blades naturally over the next few days.
Huff and his co-defendant Samuel Mayfield are awaiting trial on capital murder charges stemming from the September 14, 2018, death of Fort Worth police officer Garrett Hull.
Huff, Mayfield, and 23-year-old Dacion Steptoe were under police surveillance at the time, as they were suspected of being involved in a series of robberies that took place at several businesses in the area.
The surveilling officers confronted the three suspects outside Los Vaqueros Sports Bar. One of them reportedly responded by opening fire, striking Hull in the head. The police returned fire, which resulted in the death of Steptoe.
Hull, a 17-year veteran of the police force, died of his injuries later that night. Those close to Hull described him as the “glue” that kept his unit together.
A few hours after Hull’s death, then-Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said in a statement, “We’ve lost a true hero. Someone that has dedicated more than one tour of service to this great city was senselessly killed by three known criminals, two of which are in custody now.”
Then-Mayor Betsy Price said, “Garrett was truly a hero. I’ve enjoyed hearing people who worked with him talk about him like a rock. The sacrifices our officers make go unnoticed until we have a tragedy such as this. And the shock and the grief wake people up to the fact that many of our men and women serving don’t go home.”
Hull and Mayfield face 10 armed robbery charges and a capital murder charge. The trial has been rescheduled for Monday, June 6.