Bell County, Texas Jail Death

The Bell County Sheriff’s Office, in Belton, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Thomas Rolston. Mr. Rolston was 56 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post 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:

“Thomas Rolston was laying in his bunk inside a direct supervision housing unit when another inmate advised the officer working the housing unit Rolston was not feeling well. The officer approached Rolston and spoke with him about Rolston’s medical issues. The officer went to the desk to call and advised the infirmary Rolston would be escorted to the infirmary for chest pains. When the officer returned to Rolston at his bunk, he observed Rolston unresponsive. The officer called a medical emergency for the housing unit and all other inmates were removed to the recreation yard. Once medical staff arrived, the facility doctor performed life saving measures until EMS arrives and transported Rolston to Scott and White Hospital in Temple. Rolston was pronounced deceased at 11:09 AM by Justice of Peace Larry Wilke. Justice of the Peace Wilke has ordered an autopsy for cause of death.”

The report further indicates that Mr. Rolston exhibited both mental health problems and medical problems.

The United States Constitution requires Texas jails to provide medical care and mental health care to detainees. If a detainee in a Texas jail dies as a result of a failure to provide such care, then family members may be able to bring a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our Texas constitutional rights law firm is handling a number of such cases across Texas.

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.