Arturo Gomez Dies After Being in Custody of La Joya, Texas Police

The La Joya Police Department, in Texas, filed a report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the custodial death of Arturo Gomez. Mr. Gomez was 59 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

Mr. Gomez was originally incarcerated at the La Joya Police Department jail in Texas at 10:22 p.m. on April 17, 2022. He passed away at 2:17 a.m. on April 18, 2022. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“Mr. Gomez was booked in for Public Intoxication. Officer found Mr. Gomez unresponsive and started CPR and EMS was called. Once EMS arrived they took over live saving measures and transported Mr. Gomez to Hospital were he was pronounced dead. Texas Rangers were called for independent investigation. Awaiting findings and toxicology report.”

Therefore, the report provides no information regarding how often, if at all, periodic observations were being made of Mr. Gomez. It also provides very little information about any medical evaluation of Mr. Gomez at the time of his arrest and/or initial incarceration. The report indicates that Mr. Gomez was arrested only for public intoxication. Thus, an arresting officer must have determined that he was a danger to himself or others as a result of the intoxication.

The United States Constitution requires jailers in Texas, as well as police officers, to provide reasonable medical care to inmates and others in custody. If jailers and/or police officers fail to provide medical care for serious medical issues, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to bring a lawsuit. These lawsuits are usually filed in federal court.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.