Edgar Alejandro Hernandez Dies in City of Brownsville Jail

The Brownsville Police Department, in Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Edgar Alejandro Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez was only 28 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On November 29, 2022, at approximately 2:35am, Brownsville Police Department City Jail Detention Officer Angel Fernandez discovered prisoner Edgar Alejandro Hernandez unresponsive inside Cell #105 of the Brownsville Police Department City Jail (600 E. Jackson St.). Upon his discovery, Detention Officer Fernandez requested the assistance of Brownsville Police Officer Lucio Cortinas, who was at the City Jail on an unrelated matter. Detention Officer Fernandez and Officer Cortinas then entered Cell #105 to assist Mr. Hernandez. Officer Cortinas began chest compressions on Mr. Hernandez and requested EMS and a supervisor to the location via portable radio to police dispatch. At approximately 2:43am, Officer Adolfo Guerra relieved Officer Cortinas and continued chest compressions on Mr. Hernandez. EMS arrived at approximately 2:45am and assisted Mr. Hernandez. At approximately 2:47am, while EMS assisted Mr. Hernandez, EMS personnel discovered a piece of white toilet paper containing a small clear plastic bag with a white powdery substance inside of it on Mr. Hernandez’s person (EMS personnel left the object on Mr. Hernandez’s stomach area after the discovery). EMS pronounced Mr. Hernandez deceased at 2:48am. The Brownsville Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit was notified of the custodial death and responded to the scene. Crime Scene Investigator Alejandro Navarro located and took custody of the item on Mr. Hernandez’s stomach area that was discovered earlier by EMS personnel. The item was booked in as evidence. The Brownsville Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit is investigating the case. An autopsy report is still pending to determine the medical cause of death.”

The report indicates that Mr. Hernandez was arrested in part for public intoxication. The report does not provide any information as to whether Brownsville police officers or others obtained a medical evaluation of Mr. Hernandez before incarcerating him in the City of Brownsville, Texas jail.

The Constitution guarantees the right of arrestees to receive reasonable medical care. If a jail or police officers are deliberately indifferent to serious medical needs, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our firm is handling a number of such cases across Texas.

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.