Dallas County, Texas Jail Inmate Dies

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, in Dallas Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Texas Attorney General regarding the death of Nathaniel Washington. Mr. Washington was 59 years of age at the time of his death. We make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone regarding Mr. Washington’s death but are simply providing information contained in that report.

Mr. Washington was initially incarcerated in the Dallas County jail on May 21, 2019. The Dallas County jail is located at 111 W. Commerce St. in Dallas, Texas.

On Wednesday January 29, 2020, at approximately 3:50 a.m., Mr. Washington was being evaluated by medical staff at the Gill Hernandez Medical Facility in the jail. The nurse practitioner determined that Mr. Washington needed to be transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital due to having a low oxygen level. Mr. Washington was transported and admitted.

On Thursday, January 30, 2020, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Parkland staff called a “code blue” on Mr. Washington. CPR was administered, and a pulse was obtained at 1:27 a.m.

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, at approximately 6:30 a.m., a physician informed the Dallas County jail that Mr. Washington had only approximately one to three hours to live. Mr. Washington’s family was also notified. Mr. Washington passed away that evening.

A physician pronounced Mr. Washington deceased as a result from cardiac arrest brought on by complications of pneumonia. The Dallas County Medical Examiner was assigned to the death investigation. The reports say nothing about how long Mr. Washington had pneumonia, and whether he had been receiving medical treatment before 3:50 a.m. on January 29, 2020.

Prisoners in Texas County jails have constitutional right to receive reasonable medical care. If jailers and or officers fail to provide needed medical care to inmates, and in doing so they act in a deliberately indifferent manner, then they can be liable to certain surviving family members of a person who dies in custody. We make no allegations regarding the liability for Mr. Washington’s death. Instead, we are simply proving information regarding claims available in certain cases.

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.