Christopher Dale Shouse Dies in Gray County, Texas Jail

The Gray County Sheriff’s Department, in Pampa, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General regarding the death of Christopher Dale Shouse. Mr. Shouse was only 45 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we do not allege any wrongdoing against anyone.

Unfortunately, custodial death reports in Texas have been shortened from generally a 6-page report to a 2-page report. Therefore, they now provide the public much less information. It makes little sense to our Texas civil rights law firm that such a change occurred. Regardless, as with other custodial deaths in Texas, little information is provided regarding Mr. Shouse’s death.

The Gray County Sheriff’s Department failed to respond to the following fields in the custodial death report: manner of death description; code of charges; medical treatment description; death code; custody code; and intoxicated. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On 06/20/2021 Christopher Shouse was booked into Gray County Jail for Public Intoxication. On 06/21/2021 at 0257 jail staff was conducting observation rounds and observed Shouse lying in the cell unresponsive. Jail staff entered the cell and began chest compressions. EMS was contacted with the first fire personnel arriving on scene at 0306. Chest compressions were continued by fire personnel until EMS arrival. EMS began treating Shouse and ended chest compressions at approximately 0322. He was pronounced deceased by Justice of the Peace Connie Ogle. The cause of death is unknown at this time. Texas Rangers are investigating the death and results of an autopsy are currently pending”.

It is extremely important for Texas jailers to observe a person who has been arrested for public intoxication. It is far too common that a person who is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol for that person to suffer a serious medical event, up to and including death. We have and are litigating cases in which medical treatment has not been provided to inmates in Texas county jails.

We are uncertain, based upon information in the above-referenced report, as to the cause of Mr. Shouse’s death. The custodial death report simply does not provide enough information to make that determination. It also does not address whether Mr. Shouse was observed by jailers and, if so, how often. It does not address Mr. Shouse’s medical condition and/or any medical treatment he might have received. It generally provides very few details regarding Mr. Shouse’s confinement.

We suspect that the Texas Rangers will investigate Mr. Shouse’s death, based on our experience handling Texas jail deaths. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards will also conduct an investigation.

Texas county jail inmates must receive reasonable medical care from jailers and/or medical contractors in the jail pursuant to the 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution. When any such rights are violated, claims exist pursuant to a federal statute. Those claims 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.