Larry David Hurt is Found Unresponsive in a Restraint Chair

In Harrison County Jail at 200 West Houston Street in Marshall, Texas 75760, Larry David Hurt was booked as an inmate on March 1, 2021, at 1:37 PM. By 1:48 PM, he had been placed in a restraint chair in a detox cell close to the jail’s booking desk.

The custodial death report indicates that Mr. Hurt was checked on every 10 minutes as he remained in the restraint chair. He was heard moving and making noises until 4:44 PM. The jail camera detected Mr. Hurt gasping for air, which was followed by silence in the cell. Jail staff observed that Mr. Hurt, still in the restraint chair, was not breathing. Lifesaving measures were immediately applied, but he was pronounced deceased at 5:28 PM.

Non-Compliance in Texas Jails Related to Restraint Chairs

Restraint chairs are potentially dangerous, even contributing to the deaths of people who have been strapped into them. Observations of inmates strapped into a restraint chair are required every 10 minutes. During these frequent face-to-face checks, the inmate’s extremities are to be checked to ensure that blood circulation has not been cut off.

Sadly, non-compliance among Texas county jails often includes violations related to restraint chairs.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and this ongoing series.

The posts on this site are meant as helpful resources for municipal and county jail inmates in Texas. There is no intention on this site of accusing people or organizations of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor