Twenty-nine-year-old Chico Jesus Diaz was in the pre-booking process with the Dallas Police Department on May 9, 2021, when he passed out. Officers transported Mr. Diaz to a Dallas, Texas, hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than 3 hours after being taken into police custody.

In the 1980s, Democratic state representative from San Antonio Walter Martinez was the catalyst for change, as far as reporting on custodial deaths in Texas. He sponsored a bill-turned-law that requires death reports to be submitted by jails and other law enforcement agencies in the state. Details of the related incident and cause of death must be included in these reports. As mentioned previously in this series, the reports are submitted to the Attorney General of Texas. 

There is no question about the fact that things are better than they used to be, as far as accountability associated with the reporting of custodial deaths. Unfortunately, problems are still lingering. According to an investigation by a newspaper, hundreds of custodial death reports have been filed late. Many hundreds have been left incomplete for more than a year. In many of those reports, results from the medical examiner were missing. In most instances, no enforcement has been applied with regard to these matters. 

Learn more in Part 1 and this continuing series. In the final segment, which is to follow, learn specifics regarding a custodial death in which data was not handled as required. 

There is no intention on this website of implicating persons or organizations in wrongdoing. Assisting prisoners detained in county jails in Texas is the purpose for posts on this site.

–Guest Contributor