Lee Roy Tapia Dies While in Custody of Cameron County Sheriff’s Office

32-year-old Lee Roy Tapia died on October 12, 2017 after being in the custody of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office.  The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas, and information obtained in this post was obtained from that report.  We make no allegations in this post that anyone acted inappropriately and/or did anything wrong.  We are simply providing information.

According to the report, Cameron County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on Monday, October 9, 2017.  They arrested Mr. Tapia for alleged criminal mischief.  Mr. Tapia allegedly failed to cooperate with officers at the scene and on the way to the jail, such that he was put into a restraint chair at the jail.  He was also sprayed with pepper spray at the scene.  Mr. Tapia became unresponsive at the jail, and life-saving measures were taken.  Mr. Tapia ultimately died at a local hospital.  The complete autopsy report was pending at the time the report was filed.

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.