Arrestee in San Angelo Dies in Jail Custody

The Tom Green Sheriff’s Office, in San Angelo, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Donald Edward Little. Mr. Little was 65 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“Donald Little was assigned to a single cell for his safety. During welfare checks, officers observed unusual behavior exhibited by Little. Officers noticed that Little had not eaten any of his meals for the day and initiated a meal log. After four rounds of cell checks on 11-04-2023, officers became increasingly concerned after observing that Little had been in the same position for a significant duration. Officers entered the cell and found Little to be unresponsive. Medical staff arrived and life saving measures were conducted. Emergency medical personnel arrived and took over resuscitation efforts but were unsuccessful.”

While the report mentions that four rounds of cell checks were made, it oddly does not mention if officers communicated with or made face-to-face observations of Mr. Little during those rounds.

Under the United States Constitution, pretrial detainees in Texas jails have the right to receive reasonable medical care and to be protected from themselves and others. If jailers and/or other jail personnel violate a person’s rights, and the person dies as a result, then a federal civil rights lawsuit might be appropriate.

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