Heidiann Renee Gitts Dies After Tarrant County Jail Incarceration

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, in Fort Worth, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Heidiann Renee Gitts. Ms. Gitts was only 32 years old at the time of her death. We provide information we obtained from that report.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“

“Please allow this to serve as the first notification of the in-custody death of Tarrant County Inmate
GITTS, HEIDIANN RENEE, white female, DOB: XX/XX/1990 CID #XXXXXXX, who had been housed at
the Tarrant County Jail at 100 N Lamar St, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76196. Inmate Gitts
had been in TCSO custody since 03/18/2023 on three charges, POSS CS PG 3 < 28G (481.117(b)) – MA, POSS CS PG 1/1-B >=1G<4G (481.115(c)) – F3 and THEFT PROP >=$100<$750 (31.03(e)(2)(A)) – MB. Inmate Gitts was housed under detox protocols following her booking into the Tarrant County Jail. Inmate Gitts died on Monday, March 20, 2023 at approximately 2049 hours at John Peter Smith Hospital. Inmate Gitts was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital via ambulance on March 20, 2023 at around 1306 hours after experiencing a medical emergency in the shower area of her pod (63D 100 N Lamar, Fort Worth, Texas) on this date. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office was notified and took possession of Inmate Gitts. Tarrant County Sheriff’s Detective Ramon Garcia RMGarcia@tarrantcounty.com 817-884-1272 has been assigned the death investigation (TCSO report 2023-03854). The Fort Worth Police Department Major Case Unit will perform an independent review of the case. Further documentation and reports will follow the investigation as they become available.
Sergeant Richard Harwell”

The report provides no further specific information regarding events leading up to Ms. Gitts’ medical episode and/or death.

Inmates and detainees in Texas county jails have the right to receive reasonable medical care and to be protected from themselves and others. These rights arise under the United States Constitution. If a county and/or jailers violate such a person’s rights, and the person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our law firm is litigating 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.