Fifty-five-year-old Adelaido Adrian Diaz was reportedly alone in a jail cell at the Pharr Police Department when he fell back and struck his head on the concrete floor. The cause of the fall was undetermined. Mr. Diaz was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on April 12th, 2021, a few hours after he fell. 

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) includes directions for using restraints in the health services plans for county jails in Texas. However, the restraints themselves have been recognized as health hazards. For instance, evidence shows that restraint chairs are dangerous and threaten the health of anyone who may be strapped into them in certain circumstances.

It is widely recognized that restraint chairs can create a threat of suffering a pulmonary embolism or deadly blood clots. The danger is heightened if the person suffered physical trauma before being immobilized in the chair. 

Restraint Chair Warnings

Restraint chair manufacturers’ instructions indicate many of the dangers of using the devices. The following are examples of warnings within the manufacturer’s instructions:

• Death or serious injury can occur if the person who straps another individual into the chair has not read or understood the manufacturers’ instructions.
• To prevent injury, remove leg irons and handcuffs as soon as possible
• Restraints can cut off blood circulation.

See Part One and this continuing series. 

There is never an intention on this website to make an implication that a person or entity has been a participant in wrongdoing. Each of the posts on this website is intended as a potentially helpful resource for Texas inmates who are now or were previously detained in a county jail in the state.

–Guest Contributor