Larry Darrell Douglas Dies in Potter County, Texas Jail

The Potter County Sheriff’s Department, in Amarillo, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Larry Darrell Douglas. Mr. Douglas was only 26 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:

“Inmate Larry Darrell Douglas, Jr, B/M, DOB XX-XX-1995 was booked into the Potter County Detention Center (PCDC) on 02-25-2022. On 03-05-2022 Douglas was examined by PCDC Medical staff for complaints of lower abdominal pain and painful urination. He was started on Bactrim 800 MG twice daily and Ibuprofen 600 MG twice daily for 10 days. On 03-08-2022 Douglas was reevaluated by PCDC Medical staff with no issues noted. On 03-09-2022 at 02:30 Douglas complained of vomiting and was started on Zofram 4 MG twice daily. Later in the day on 03-09-2022 PCDC Medical Officer Lightsey was called to Cell B-10 to examine Douglas who was complaining of being unable to sleep or keep food down but no pain. Douglas was moved to Medical Single Cell #149 and put on a liquid diet for observation. Medical staff added Douglas to the list to see the Medical Provider on the next clinic which was on Thursday, 03-10-2022 at 7:00 AM. On 03-09-2022 at approximately 22:23 inmate Douglas was found unresponsive in his single occupancy cell. Lifesaving efforts were performed until AMS personnel pronounced him deceased at 22:46 hours on 03-09-2022.”

Inmates in Texas county jails have a constitutional right to receive reasonable medical care. Jailers cannot be deliberately indifferent and/or act objectively unreasonably regarding such care. If they do, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to bring a lawsuit. Likewise, if a county jail policy, practice, and/or custom results in an inmate death, then the county could be liable for violating the United States Constitution.

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.