A Bexar County Detainee Dies
On October 5, 2023, Ed Penix was booked into Bexar County Jail. Mr. Penix, who was a diabetic, died of unknown causes in the jail five days later, on October 10. According to the custodial death report (CDR), when he was discovered unresponsive, the jail was purportedly preparing to transport him to an emergency room for a higher level of care for an open wound and other conditions. He had been housed in the jail infirmary. The address of the jail is Bexar County Adult Detention Center, 200 N Comal St, San Antonio, TX 78207. Bexar County Jail can house up to 4,563 detainees.
Sepsis is one Cause of a Detainee’s Death in Bexar County Jail
A 44-year-old was placed in the custody of Bexar County Jail in San Antonio, Texas, on January 5, 2023. The man had been involved in an incident with the San Antonio Police Department. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds after he pointed a “look-alike” weapon at the uniformed officers. Although he was placed in the custody of the jail, he was taken to the University Hospital. He was placed on life support, which was removed on January 29, 2023, at the family’s request. He died that night at 9:36 p.m. The manner of the man’s death was ruled a homicide, which includes justifiable homicide. The medical cause of death was “multiple organ failure/sepsis/multiple gunshot wounds.”
Sepsis occurs when the body has an overactive response to an infection. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has determined that each year over 1 million people in the U.S. develop sepsis, and only about 15% to 30% die from the condition. Anytime a detainee dies from sepsis, an investigation is done that hopefully assumes the possibility of medical neglect.
Learn more in this ongoing series.
Among other reasons, this website was created to provide detainees in local Texas jails and their families with helpful resources. There is no intention of making insinuations that persons or entities have engaged in wrongdoing.
–Guest Contributor
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