The death of a 38-year-old who was arrested for his behavior during a mental breakdown has been a cause of concern for many. Investigations show that the software programmer died from a blood clot in his lungs after repeatedly begging for help in the jail. The condition he died of has a death rate of only 8% when it is diagnosed and treated. When untreated, pulmonary embolism has a mortality rate as high as 30%.  

Tragically, mental disabilities often become a death sentence for the people who have them as a result of being incarcerated and subsequently not receiving proper medical care.

In the same state as the others mentioned in this ongoing story, a man was arrested for laughing while standing in a person’s yard in the pouring rain. The people at the home knew the man personally and realized that he needed a mental evaluation, which is what they told dispatch when they called 9-1-1. Instead of getting the medical evaluation, police officers charged the man with a misdemeanor offense of trespassing and jailed him. He did not make it out of the jail alive.

See Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this story as well as continuing posts for information on additional custodial deaths that have occurred in higher-than-average numbers in a state outside of Texas.

This and all posts on this site are meant as sources of information. There is no intention on this website to make a suggestion that any person, institution, or company has been involved in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor