Another Inmate Death at Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report regarding the death of Abdullahi Mohamed. Mr. Mohamed was only 40 years of age at the time of his death. We provide information in this post obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone regarding Mr. Mohamed’s death.

The summary portion of the report is very short, and it reads in its entirety:

“The inmate was housed in a single cell laying on his mattress on the floor naked. Officers became concerned when he failed to answer their questions and eat his food. The inmate was placed in a wheelchair and being escorted to Medical for treatment. While enroute, the inmate became unresponsive and stopped breathing. Medical personnel began chest compressions, which continued until Medstar personnel arrived. Medstar personnel transported the inmate to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was later declared deceased.”

The report also indicates that Mr. Mohamed exhibited mental health problems. The report does not indicate whether Mr. Mohamed was suicidal, or what caused his death. The report also does not indicate whether the Texas Rangers will conduct an investigation.

The United States Constitution guarantees the right of pretrial detainees to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care. If jailers failed to provide such care to an inmate in a Texas county jail, and in doing so they are deliberately indifferent or act unreasonably, they can be liable to certain surviving family members of a deceased inmate.

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