Catarino Humberto Rodriguez-Borjon Dies After Being in Midland County Jail

The Midland County Sheriff’s Department, in Midland, Texas, filed a custodial death report regarding the death of Catarino Humberto Rodriguez-Borjon. Mr. Borjon was 51 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report.

Our Texas civil rights law firm filed suit against Midland County as a result of a different jail death, and we learned a significant amount of information as a result of that lawsuit. With regard to Mr. Rodriguez-Borjon, the custodial death report contained a summary portion which read as follows:

“On February 20, 2021 at approximately 0700 hrs, Officers were conducting Roll Call in the Booking area. When going to Holdover Cell ISO B to conduct Roll Call on offender Catarino Rodriguez-Borjon, the offender refused verbal commands to get back. He walked towards the officer and the unsecured door. At that time, an officer pushed the offender back and he lost his balance, hitting his head on the concrete bench. The officer immediately rendered aid and jail medical staff was called. EMS was also called at this time. The offender eventually got up on his own power and walked to the stretcher. He was transported to Midland Memorial hospital via EMS. While at Midland Memorial Hospital, the offender was placed on life support. He never regained consciousness and passed away on 03-07-2021 at 1643 hrs.”

The 4^th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and possibly the 14^th Amendment, protects pre-trial detainees from what Mr. Rodriguez-Borjon may have experienced. We do not make any allegation of any wrongdoing regarding his death, because we do not have enough facts to make that determination. However, if a jailer violated Mr. Rodriguez-Borjon’s rights, and in doing so caused his death, then that jailer, and possibly his or her employer, could potentially be liable to certain surviving family members. Lawsuits regarding such rights are usually filed in federal court, and they are brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

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.