Inmate Commits Suicide in Bexar County, Texas Jail

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, in San Antonio, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the suicide death of an inmate. The inmate was Ryan O’Shea. Mr. O’Shea was only 35 years old at the time of his death. We provide information which we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone regarding Mr. O’Shea’s death.

The report indicates that Mr. O’Shea was taken into custody at the jail on January 13, 2021 at 11:52 p.m. It also indicates that he passed away on January 21, 2021 at 2:26 a.m. The report further notes that Mr. O’Shea did not make suicidal statements. However, in response to the question whether he exhibited any mental health problems, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office responded, “Unknown.” The summary portion of the report reads as follows:

“On January 21, 2021 at approximately 0203 hours while retrieving the breakfast trays, deputy P. Cortes #4536 noticed that inmate O’Shea, Ryan SID# 817060 did not eat. At this time deputy Cortes was unable to observe inmate O’Shea through the cell window even by utilizing his flashlight and opened the cell door. Inmate O’Shea was found hanging next to the door near the intercom speaker by his county issued sheet tied around his neck. Deputy Cortes utilized the rescue tool and cut the sheet. The Officer activated a Code 1 Blue followed by a Code 2 (Officer in need of assistance), chest compressions initiated by responding officers and continued by medical staff. Inmate O’Shea was pronounced dead at approximately 0226 hours by EMT Groff #1427 from the San Antonio Fire Department.”

Inmates are to be protected, if they are in Texas County jails, from known suicidal and/or self-harm tendencies. This is a guarantee pursuant to the 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Jail prisoners in Texas also have a right to reasonable medical care. If these rights are violated, then the person whose rights are violated, or in the unfortunate event of the person’s death, certain family members of the person, can file a lawsuit in federal court.

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.