Detainee Dies in Montgomery County, Texas Jail After Being Restrained in a Chair and Given Medications

Phillip Carl Tucker, who was only 34 years old, passed away on or about September 28, 2017 while in the custody of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department in Conroe, Texas.  According to a custodial death report filed with the Texas State Attorney General by the Sheriff’s Department, Mr. Tucker was caught using a staff telephone and was therefore placed into a segregation cell.  Allegedly, during a security check, jail staff observed Mr. Tucker displaying what they believed to be symptoms of hallucinations and delirium tremens.  Allegedly, he began beating on a steel cell door.  Therefore, he was transferred to a “padded violent cell” and strapped into a restraint chair.  He was also allegedly administered Ativan, Benadryl, and Haldol.

During a security check some time thereafter, jail staff allegedly observed Mr. Tucker as being unresponsive and having shallow breathing.  CPR was administered while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.  Mr. Tucker was then transported to an area hospital and pronounced as being deceased several hours after arriving.

Texas Rangers are investigating the death.  We are only providing information in this post and are not alleging that anyone acted improperly.

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.