Broderick Demoures Davis Dies in Galveston County Jail
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Department, in Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Broderick Demoures Davis. Mr. Davis was only 40 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 report indicates that the time of the incident was 4:25 a.m. on September 4, 2022. The report also indicates that Mr. Davis passed away at 5:11 a.m. on September 4, 2022. Finally, the report indicates that Mr. Davis entered the jail at 12:04 a.m. on September 4, 2022. The report does not provide the medical cause of death, pending an autopsy. The summary portion of the reports reads in its entirety:
“In an attempt to place hand restraints on the inmate, he was placed on the ground by deputies. After the restraints were applied, the inmate continued to resist and deputies attempted to control him on the ground. While on the ground, deputies noticed that the inmate became unresponsive and on-scene jail medical staff responded. Additional jail medical staff were called, along with EMS/first responders. The inmate was transported to an area hospital were he was later pronounced to be deceased.”
While we do not have sufficient information to comment on the cause of Mr. Davis’s death, we are currently handling another case in which an arrestee died in a jail from positional asphyxiation. Positional asphyxiation can occur if a person is placed face down and pressure is put at certain points on the person’s body.
The United States Constitution guarantees the right of inmates and others not to have unreasonable force used against them by law enforcement officers and jailers. Moreover, inmates have the right to receive reasonable medical care. If a person’s constitutional rights are violated, and the person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil right lawsuit regarding the death.
Dean Malone
Dean Malone